Facebook violated my privacy and may be spying on YOU

So about a month ago I saw this thread that points out that some of the new smartphone apps ask for permission to record audio from the microphone and take pictures and video from the camera, at any time and without your confirmation. Here is the thread. www.abovetopsecret.com...

My understanding is that some smartphone apps ask for extra permissions as more features become available to the customer, such as the customer being able to upload video or audio to a website like Youtube or Facebook.

Sound reasonable? Then why do these apps need these permissions “at any time” and “without your confirmation?”

After checking my Galaxy S2, I saw that the apps that needed these extra permissions were always done through manual updates. I never take manual updates as many of them cost money or will set up billing. So I made the decision to never take any update that wanted permission to essentially be able to spy on me, at any time through my phone’s camera and mic.

What Happened

Earlier this week I noticed that, when I arrived home from work, the battery life on my phone was down to between 30 – 40 percent, when normally it would be between 60 – 70 percent. I started to investigate and what I found was that the Facebook app was running 50+ MB in the background and every time I tried to stop it, it started back up.

I also found that somehow the app had been updated and now had permission to record me at any time and without my knowledge. Feeling upset and violated by this, I completely removed the Facebook app from my phone. Guess what happened? My battery life went back to normal.

What was Facebook doing in the background of my phone that was causing massive battery drain and what gives them the right to grant themselves permission to violate my privacy?

I hope this will serve as a warning, to those of you who are not ready to invite big brother into your pockets, let alone your homes. I do think that this type of spying on private citizens is on the increase. I saw this thread yesterday of someone reporting similar problems and it helped encourage me to come forward with my situation.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Did you read the T&C before selecting "I accept," when you started that Facebook account?


Stop using the service, easy solution.

reply to post by MmmPie


Somewhat, and I was okay with them. I'm okay with a lot of things, I just don't want to give permission to someone to access the camera and microphone on my phone.

watch the south park human centipad episode, tells you what happens when you don't read TOS.

It... is facebook. It wants ALL your data, and that is a fact. Give it to them, you slaves!

Seriously, who needs that crap? Delete the app, fill your account/dateline/whatever they call it this month with data-waste and stop updating it.

If you want to remove your account: good luck. It will last for at least 30 days, and if you even try to use your facebook-logins on some other side (which will obviously transfer that login over to facebook for authentication) you will just extend your account to eternity.

Yay.. I have an account. There is ZILL data in it, what facebook could use for anything other than that I am friends on facebook with some old real-live-friends. Which will give facebook nothing, as I am blocking every single email from them "hey, come back. your friend +++ has just updated his/her profile!". Nope. I will never use that crap for anything useful. I just wanted to have my name in an account so that when in 5 years a facebook-account will be mandatory for even going to the toilet, I wouldn't have to use a generic name like "manfromeurope#5711"..

Originally posted by benrl
watch the south park human centipad episode, tells you what happens when you don't read TOS.

I know right? Lately I have found myself doing just that. It really is a good idea to know what you are agreeing to.

reply to post by IndieA

Social networks like facebook and their clueless users, who are (for the most part) ignorant about privacy protection would have been Heinrich Himmlers wet dream.

reply to post by IndieA


All of the apps and other crapps that are continuously being released/updated/whatever, do you think those are solely for the benefit of the consumer?

Have you never wondered how Facebook became such an extremely profitable company, even though the membership is FREE?

i've noticed a similar trend with youtube. they kept pestering me to "join my google account with youtube" at first it was voluntary, then it became mandatory. now they've begun pestering me to use my real name on my channel, and the reason given is because "people know you by your real name, not some hard to remember nickname". uhm, no youtube, they don't. there is only one person on youtube who knows me by my real name, and my nickname is simply a fake name.

take your bull**** agenda elsewhere. if it becomes mandatory i'm deleting my account, or i will employ other means around such measures.

i have like 2 personal pictures on facebook, and neither has my face in it. no one else has any either, so they can suck mah balls.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Oh I know that they are in it for the money. I also know they make money selling personal information.

I am okay with this and would happily use the facebook app so long as it does not have permission to record audio and video at any time without my confirmation.

Oh, and it doesn't drain my battery.

Originally posted by IndieA
reply to post by BrokenCircles

 

Oh I know that they are in it for the money. I also know they make money selling personal information.

I am okay with this and would happily use the facebook app so long as it does not have permission to record audio and video at any time without my confirmation.

Oh, and it doesn't drain my battery.

edit on 23-2-2013 by IndieA because: (no reason given)

The fact that you can be ok with one and not the other dumfounds me. Honestly, I don't see the difference but the fact that there are people who jump at the chance to have their privacy violated and put themselves at risk, all in the name of social media dumfounds me as well.


If the fact that it drains your battery is one of you biggest concerns then....

The first mistake was thinking you had the right to privacy on facebook.

reply to post by IndieA


Root your S2 and delete all the Facebook crap from /system/app and/or /data/app. Then go and enjoy life.

BTW if you have a Google account associated with your phone, go to Google and sign in. Click on your avatar in the top right and go to your account. Down the right hand side somewhere there's a link to whats called your Dashboard. From that you can see every google search you've ever made, every image search, and your location history on a little map, with times and dates of where you where, going way back to whenever you first enabled location awareness on your android mobile. Handy if you want to know where your other half has been lol. Ive asked a few people and they had no clue about the Dashboard. Check it out if you haven't done so already.

reply to post by calstorm


I'm not exactly sure what all gets shared by Facebook or to who, but I do know that there are privacy settings that can be set. For example only my friends should be able to see my profile and post according to my privacy settings.

So I am not consenting to sharing what I post on Facebook to just anyone or the public.

I most certainly don't want anyone recording audio or video off of my phone.

It’s funny that people on a social site are giving me a hard time about sharing information.

reply to post by threewisemonkeys


Good to know. Thanks for that. I am already rooted. I can remove whatever I want and have. My phone is back to the way it was.

Originally posted by IndieA
reply to post by calstorm

 

So I am not consenting to sharing what I post on Facebook to just anyone or the public.

The thing is, you're not who really gets to give consent. What you post on facebook belongs to facebook, and if they want to share something of your, they will.

Hi farceb00k/twits no-fans.

You also have to consider the incompetents, working in those businesses. . .
Just so you know:

Twitter hacked; 250,000 user accounts potentially compromised
allthingsd.com...
allthingsd.com/20130201/twitter-hacked-250000-user-accounts-compromised/

Farcebook scans conversations, chats and posts. . .
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Farcebook leaks its own code. . .
www.pcmag.com...

Farcebook security lapse leaves private photos exposed. . .
www.readwriteweb.com...

Farcebook, a black hole for personal info. . .
yro.slashdot.org.../02/12/1354255&from=rss
yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/12/1354255&from=rss

And if it ever happens to you, this is what farcebook sends to police
when they come asking for your information:
superchief.tv...
superchief.tv/theycanseeeverythingyoudo/

Blue skies.

reply to post by forgetmenot


Whether or not I have a say in things is debatable. Facebook at least ask me, with who I want information shared with. If they go beyond that I still know what I agreed to.

Regardless of what they do with what information I give them, they still have no right to record information from my camera or microphone.

www.stuartathompson.com...

(external text)

When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version You understand and acknowledge that, even after removal, copies of User Content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored your User Content. Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the Facebook service through the operation of the service (e.g., photo tags) (external text)

(External text)All personal information, naturally – including name, address, phone numbers, gender, relationships, email addresses, credit cards, and all transactions performed on the site.
It records all of your chat messages, even the ones you delete.
It tracks how you use Facebook, which PC’s, phones or alternative devices you use and what their details are.
It records who has poked you, and who you’ve poked since you signed up.
It lists which events you’ve been to, when you’ve been invited and your choices in whether to go or not.
Facebook tracks who you ‘friend’ and who you ‘de-friend,’ on your profile.
It lists details about the apps you use, and even tracks your behavior through cookies when you’re NOT logged into Facebook. (external text)

note mods: External tags aren't working for me for some reason.

this is just a drop in the bucket. I will post more when I have the time later.
ATS is quite different from facebook, even though it isn't completely innocent.

reply to post by calstorm


Well I really don't even use FB that much anyway. No poking going on, I don't use FB apps at all, and I don't leave location or event data. I mostly post information about how screwed up Washington DC is and how most of us are being raped by the central banking system. I'll also post the occasional photo of a sunrise or cute squirrel eating a peanut or something but that’s about it.