Facebook Messenger Records Users Even When They're Not On Their Phones

Since Facebook was launched for public use, many claims have been made exposing the social network for abuse of privacy. It has been reported that Messenger can record your audio anytime they want, even when you're not on your phone, and you don’t have to provide permission.

While text messages were once the basic form of communication, now most people use Facebook Messenger. Facebook has reported that an astounding 900.000.000 people use their services for not only personal use but for businesses as well.

Nevertheless, one could guess that the majority of that 900 million don’t realize that Facebook Messenger records them. And while many are shaking their heads while they're reading this article in disbelief, it's worth mentioning that, as The Independent reports, Facebook doesn’t refute the fact that they're actually listening to you.

Contrarily, according to Facebook, the app 'listens' to what is happening around you, although they feign innocent on their intentions. The company claims that they are are only trying to find out your interests so that they can later suggest what you should post and like. As if that makes their spying less creepy, right?

And if you don’t believe it, delete your Facebook Messenger app and, then, reinstall it. Within just a few moments, you should see several different pop-ups, including these:


Now notice the terminology concerning the agreement.

According to Kelli Burns, a mass communication professor at the University of Florida, at first, the feature wasn’t available initially when she tested it recently by discussing certain topics on her phone. She wanted to check whether Facebook used the information to customize her advertisements. Then, within moments, the site started to update the advertisements based on what she said on her phone.

Facebook insisted to the Independent that although audio is used to customize your posts based on whatever is happening around you, they don’t record you aiming to customize advertisements to fit your interests. Once again, it's still not less creepy.

However, there is good news. If you go in and change your settings, you can prevent the app from recording anything, or at least hope so anyway. On iPhones first go to your app settings, then to privacy, and then switch the slider setting for the microphone. Android users should go to settings, then privacy, and change the permissions that are granted for Facebook. Sadly, with convenience also comes a loss of privacy in the technologically advancing world. For now, you should weigh the pros and cons for such apps and then decide to either risk having your privacy invaded or lose the convenience factors that those outlets provide. What do you believe? Is it worth the risk?

Reference: Awareness Act