A new issue has occurred, where Facebook is secretly harvesting data from iPhone users. There’s also another issue, the users can’t stop the tracking unless they delete the app.
Facebook was caught red-handed, as they secretly harvested data from your iPhone, without users having any say about them doing it. What’s worse is that they have admitted to this crime, and various security researchers have said that the app constantly uses the accelerometer on your iPhone to stream your movements, and can be used to monitor your activities of the day. This data that gets collected can match yourself with other people near you.
Facebook is basically tracking you
Many users have looked around on the apps settings as for how to disable the tracking, and no feature has been found to stop Facebook from invading your privacy. Also, if you don’t allow the app permission to your location, the app can still figure it out by grouping you with users matching the same vibration pattern that your phone accelerometer records, said both researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk. On WhatsApp, the feature is prone to be disabled, however, on Instagram and Facebook, it can’t. You’ll need to access the services via the web to actually go on them. You’ll need to delete both Instagram and Facebook (for people on iPhone). Facebook is however the odd one out, as no other platforms do it, Mysk saying that he tested TikTok, WeChat, iMessage, Telegram and Signal.
Facebook says that they use the accelerometer to use features such as shake-to-report, 360 degree photos, and to ensure camera functionality. Seeing as though Facebook is doing this, they have permission to do this as all of the apps on the App Store are allowed to use the accelerometer, and worse, they don’t even let you know most of the time. An app could literally measure the users heart rate, and they wouldn’t even know. Also, when switching off the shake-to-report feature, the accelerometer is still used for some reason.
Apple needs to make it so that the accelerometer isn’t free to everyone, it can be granted towards an app, not stole.
This app is the most downloaded social media platform on the iPhone, and is now revealed to be stealing people data. This is most likely going to be a hit to their eco-system.
