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Facebook can now read your texts

tony.calileo.com

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Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#121

Post by laug »

furyg3 wrote: post #100
rodrodrod wrote: post #18

This has been a thing for about a month and a bit now. A Facebook engineer posted the following on Reddit[0], explaining the rationale behind the SMS permission: > As for the READ_SMS permission, we require that so we can automatically intercept login approvals SMS messages for people that have turned 2-factor authentication for their accounts, or for phone confirmation messages when you add a phone number to your Fa…

I feel like some sort of manual component to two-factor authentication is the whole point (a clickable link, copy+paste, or remembering a 4 digit number). Besides that, two factor is a bit of a joke in an app (on your phone) that caches your password, and then sends a message (to your phone) which is automatically read and accepted, before allowing you to login. What exactly are we achieving here in terms of security…

If you offer some kind of flag that can authenticate without the second factor then the whole system is moot. I.e. an attacker can fake/spoof the user agent or whatever flag you're using, the reason its OK to skip the constraint on a mobile, is that if your mobile is owned, so is your secondary factor.

For all other cases going via cell networks is a good enough secondary channel of communication which leaves out any chance of being mitmd over WiFi or something.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#122

Post by exodust »

cstrat wrote: post #64

This sucks because even if you don't have the application, you might be texting someone who does... facebook can collect that data too and build profiles of people who don't even have the app or even use facebook.

Good point. Wow, there really is no hope for private communication.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#123

Post by drakeandrews »

annnnd wrote: post #97

I once talked to CTO of a quite popular app and he mentioned that he finds it best to ask for all permissions you might need upfront (on first install), even if you don't need them yet. Adding them in upgrades later results in lots of customer support questions (and negative reviews). It is also telling that OP is bothered by "read your messages" permission but doesn't seem to mind "record audio, take pictures and vi…

The facebook app has its own camera app, if memory serves, that has some facebook specific features.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#124

Post by andor »

ksk wrote: post #117
billyjobob wrote: post #21

At this point, if you care about your privacy, why would you even still have a Facebook account? I used to think I could be 'safe', that my advanced knowledge of privacy settings and optimised usage patterns could somehow shield me from the fundamental nature of these data monger corporations. But the truth is concepts like cloud and social networking are fundamentally toxic to privacy and freedom. I'm now pretty clo…

>At this point, if you care about your privacy, why would you even still have a Facebook account? You could have a Facebook/Google account under a different name. I have one and its rather useful when websites have an option of logging in using facebook/google accounts. >I'm now pretty close to the day I delete my Google account, and that provides far more useful functionality than Facebook. What is this "far more us…

You could have a Facebook/Google account under a different name. I have one and its rather useful when websites have an option of logging in using facebook/google accounts.

You can easily be identified by your network of friends. The name of your account doesn't matter.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#125

Post by uptown »

siglesias wrote: post #48
uptown wrote: post #43

I noticed they pushed an update to the iOS app too, but those permissions weren't mentioned in the update log. Anyone know if they claim the same access in iOS? There's no granular permissions in the iOS Privacy section to control access to messages.

iOS apps can't access messages.

Thanks. I wasn't sure about that.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#126

Post by dschiptsov »

The whole idea behind these apps is in gaining access to user's data. This is why in recent versions of Android user cannot control not just what an app could do, but whether or not it should be started automatically.

The "strategy" is very straightforward - first to gain "popularity" offering a reasonable service "for free" and then, after accumulation what they call "user base" they just change the rules (permissions). The idea behind separate "messenger" app is exactly to "hijack" user's messaging service by "forcing itself to be" default messaging app.

I don't even want to talk what kind of spyware Skype is, using exactly the same "strategy" of quietly "adding functionality" and having permissions to do everything.

There is no other "working" way to monetize user's data, but collecting and selling it.

The next level is just adding malware functions in "next version".)

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#127

Post by hueving »

furyg3 wrote: post #100
rodrodrod wrote: post #18

This has been a thing for about a month and a bit now. A Facebook engineer posted the following on Reddit[0], explaining the rationale behind the SMS permission: > As for the READ_SMS permission, we require that so we can automatically intercept login approvals SMS messages for people that have turned 2-factor authentication for their accounts, or for phone confirmation messages when you add a phone number to your Fa…

I feel like some sort of manual component to two-factor authentication is the whole point (a clickable link, copy+paste, or remembering a 4 digit number). Besides that, two factor is a bit of a joke in an app (on your phone) that caches your password, and then sends a message (to your phone) which is automatically read and accepted, before allowing you to login. What exactly are we achieving here in terms of security…

We are achieving the same security guarantee as before, just without the user pain. All two factor provides in this case is proof that you have the phone associated with your account. Why does it matter if the app does the legwork for you?

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#128

Post by ksk »

andor wrote: post #124
ksk wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>At this point, if you care about your privacy, why would you even still have a Facebook account? You could have a Facebook/Google account under a different name. I have one and its rather useful when websites have an option of logging in using facebook/google accounts. >I'm now pretty close to the day I delete my Google account, and that provides far more useful functionality than Facebook. What is this "far more us…

You could have a Facebook/Google account under a different name. I have one and its rather useful when websites have an option of logging in using facebook/google accounts. You can easily be identified by your network of friends. The name of your account doesn't matter.

Ah, I should clarify.. the account does not have any friends.

Re: Facebook can now read your texts

#129

Post by penguat »

annnnd wrote: post #97

I once talked to CTO of a quite popular app and he mentioned that he finds it best to ask for all permissions you might need upfront (on first install), even if you don't need them yet. Adding them in upgrades later results in lots of customer support questions (and negative reviews). It is also telling that OP is bothered by "read your messages" permission but doesn't seem to mind "record audio, take pictures and vi…

the one that alarmed me was the permission to alter my calendar and send emails to guests without my knowledge. That's really a step too far for me - it takes away the privacy of my friends.
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