Vanity Fair's Maya Kosodd points out the consequences of tapping or clicking through the little popups when you sign up for Facebook: these are contracts that let Facebook do everything that you're now complaining about.
In its current iteration, Facebook’s Messenger application requests that those who download it give it permission to access incoming and outgoing call and text logs. But, as users discovered when prompted to download a copy of their personal data before permanently deleting their Facebook accounts, a certain amount of data was covertly siphoned without explicit permissions.
But, as Facebook responds:
You may have seen some recent reports that Facebook has been logging people’s call and SMS (text) history without their permission.
This is not the case.
...
People have to expressly agree to use this feature. If, at any time, they no longer wish to use this feature they can turn it off
In other words, he's calling you a dumb fuck again.
Here's the screen where they trick people into giving them their call history. The contrast ratio of the silvertext is, according to WebAIM, 2:32 to 1, which fails the applicable accessibility standards for readable text.
Here you're agreeing to "text anyone in your phone," as far as you're concerned, which of course you want to be able to do--and can already do without letting Facebook track your calls and messages. Not only is this fact in small print silvertext, it's parked in an eyes-glaze-over paragraph about "continuous uploads" that uses superficially simple and approachable language to conceal what it's really about: letting Facebook track your calls and messages.
When you send someone else an email, your mail server connects to their mail server to transmit the message, and spy agencies have made a surveillance banquet out of these transactions, harvesting emails by the billions.
The Supreme Court has ruled in the closely watched Carpenter v. United States case, which questioned the constitutionality of warrantless location surveillance, a widespread practice among US law enforcement and surveillance agencies.
The Washington Post rounds up 15 privacy defaults that no one in their right mind would want to leave as-is, and provides direct links to change 'em (hilariously and predictably, Verizon/Oath/Yahoo's privacy settings dashboard times out when you try to load it) -- once you're done with that, go back and follow his links to […]
Facebook is good for more than just keeping tabs on your high school friends. In fact, the platform has become an invaluable tool for marketers and entrepreneurs building their brands online. So, whether you’re looking to launch your own venture or climb the ladder in your current operation, the Facebook Ads & Facebook Marketing Mastery Course […]
While it’s fun to watch Hollywood action heroes hack into cameras to spy on their targets, the thought of an actual cybercriminal using our own security devices against us is chilling for most. That’s what makes the iPM World HD 360 Degree 1080p Wireless IP Camera essential for anyone looking to deter digital and physical intruders […]
Spring came and went, but we’re not here to judge if you didn’t get around to cleaning up your living space. After all, taking the time to vacuum your floors can stretch out into a lengthy task when you’re constantly switching between power outlets and trying to jam your machine into those tight corners. With […]
