If you did not know this already, you’re going to be shocked! Facebook has been listening in on its app users since 2014, and a recent report from The Independent suggests that Facebook always listens to you all of the time!
In a recent interview Kelli Burns a communications professor at the University of South Florida, tells the news paper the she knows Facebook listens to everything the users of its apps do!. Apparently it does this to be able to serve them with relevant advertising, so in the minds of those who sanction this kind of terrible behaviour it’s purely good business.
Facebook asks for permission?
When quizzed about its snooping activities, Facebook says that it will only access an app users microphone when it has been given permission to do so. And even when permission is given, it will only access the available data in certain circumstances, such as when a user is recording video or listening to music on the television.
In response to these snooping allegations Facebook has published a blog post outlining what its practices are and to reassure its app users that their privacy has not been compromised.
However, if the whole idea of Facebook being able to listen in on your conversations and music choices sounds way too creepy for you. There is a way for you to put a stop to it!
How to Stop Facebook Listening
Here’s what you should do if you’re an its app with an iPhone running on iOS 9:
- Go to the settings app and tap on it.
- Scroll down and look for the Facebook app, then tap it.
- Select settings with a tap.
- Look for the microphone next to it you will see a slider, move it so that it turns from green to gray.
And that’s that, you’ve now disabled the microphone and Facebook can no longer snoop on you.
Moving on to Android users, this tutorial is for Marshmallow user:
- Find the settings app on your handset and tap it.
- Look for personal settings and select them.
- Look for Privacy and Safety and then tap it.
- Next look for App permissions and tap that.
- Now look for Microphone and tap it.
- Scroll down until you find the app and switch the slider to off.
And that’s it, you have now prevented the app from snooping on you at all times. And can go about your business safe in the knowledge that the next time it serves you ads it won’t be because its been listening in on you.
