Here are 10 Reasons Why You Should Be Afraid of Facebook Messenger
Are you prepared to share everything you’re doing to Facebook? I bet your answer would be no. But, if you downloaded the new Facebook Messenger app you actually agreed to share a ton of your private information. According to the Terms of Service of the Facebook Messenger application you are giving up your privacy in order to message your friends for free.
Recently, the Facebook messenger app has received over 1 billion downloads and allows Facebook access to a startling amount of personal data including direct control over your mobile device.
Here are ten things you agreed to by using the Facebook Messenger that you should be afraid of.
- Allows the app to change the state of network connectivity
- Allows the app to call phone numbers without your intervention. This may result in unexpected charges or calls. Malicious apps may cost you money by making calls without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to send SMS messages. This may result in unexpected charges. Malicious apps may cost you money by sending messages without your confirmation
- Allows the app to record audio with microphone. This permission allows the app to record audio at any time without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to take pictures and videos with the camera. This permission allows the app to use the camera at any time without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to read you phone’s call log, including data about incoming and outgoing calls. This permission allows apps to save your call log data, and malicious apps may share call log data without your knowledge.
- Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your phone, including the frequency with which you’ve called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals.
- Allows the app to read personal profile information stored on your device, such as your name and contact information. This means the app can identify you and may send your profile information to others.
- Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. This permission allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call.
- Allows the app to get a list of accounts known by the phone. This may include any accounts created by applications you have installed.
Social media has become an integral part of our culture. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to connect with friends, find jobs, and meet new people for free. But, it is important to note that nothing in life is truly free. “Free” online apps are currently paid for by upselling users or collecting data such as browsing history, name, and location. As the Huffington Post points out, Facebook uses this information to deliver more targeted ads but also invade people’s personal privacy.
In a way, it pays to offer some personal information for a better experience with online ads, which we all hate so much. However, Facebook Messenger’s attempt to collect so much information and take control of our devices is unprecedented and, quite frankly, frightening. The fact that over a 1,000,000,000 people have accepted these terms is an alarming insight into the future of mobile apps and personal security.
So what should you do? I would suggest deleting your Facebook app and start reading the Terms and Conditions because you could be unknowlingly hurting your career in the entertainment industry.
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