Facebook Denies Accessing Users' Text Messages 130
quantr writes "Facebook is being accused of snooping on its users' text messages, but the social network says the accusations are inaccurate and misleading. The company is among a wide-ranging group of Web entities, including Flickr and YouTube, that are using smartphone apps to access text message data and other personal information, according to a Sunday Times report (behind a paywall). The newspaper said Facebook 'admitted' to reading users' text messages during a test of its own messaging service. The report also says information such as user location, contacts list, and browser history are often accessed and sometimes transmitted to third-party companies, including advertisers."
Well yeah. (Score:5, Interesting)
I stopped using and uninstalled the Facebook Android app when I saw that it was turning on my phone's GPS as soon as I opened it. Sorry, but there's no legitimate reason for the GPS to be on all the time in this app's context.
Re:is that allowed on mobile APIs? (Score:4, Interesting)
Android phones in the U.S. come with apps that cannot be deleted, depending on the service. Typically: Facebook, Twitter. You can choose to decline updates, but you cannot remove the app. Look at the comments on this app: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.virginmobileusa.vmlive&hl=en [android.com] Of them 90% are along the lines of this one: "This program is garbage I wish I could get this crap off my phone."
Re:Worst? (Score:5, Interesting)
You know when a corporation says "the accusations are inaccurate and misleading" that they are guilty as hell.
How hard is it to say, "No, we never, ever access private messages or contact information for any reason"?
It's like when a politician says, "To be perfectly honest..." Somebody needs to hit the crash cymbals whenever those words are spoken, to indicate ALERT! LIE COMING....
Murdoch's not so bad (Score:2, Interesting)
This Sunday Times article is just the latest in a string of Rupert Murdoch media outlets (mostly the Wall Street Journal) posting exaggerated and questionably-researched stories about "hacking scandals" at large internet companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc. The strategy seems to be to distract the public from real hacking scandals at News of the World and other Murdoch owned properties and make it appear that hacking is a normal activity for successful companies. What, you thought that scandal was old news? More details [guardian.co.uk] continue to get out [dailymail.co.uk] (despite Murdoch's attempts to cover it up [wsj.com]).