Facebook May Have Read Your Phone’s Text Messages.

RomanNose

RomanNose

RomanNose

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Let's take a healthy sodium-dose here, but London's Sunday Times is alleging that Facebook has admitted to reading users' text messages. They supposedly read the private SMS messages of users who downloaded the Facebook app on their smartphones.

This was allegedly in preparation for Facebook launching their own messaging service, but it is not known if it still continues today. Or, really, if it happened at all. The Sunday Times article is very scant in the way of evidence, quoting only unnamed sources, and then devolving into a rehashing of every other known privacy concern to pad the article. While it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it happened—we've come to expect this sort of thing as of late—let's hold off on the torches and pitchforks until we have some more substancial proof. We are reaching out to Facebook for a comment, and will update if we hear back. Then we can light our pitchforks and sharpen our torches. Or something like that. [Sunday Times via TechCrunch]
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http://gizmodo.com/5888394/facebook-may-have-read-your-phones-text-messages


Seems bad news for people who actually value privacy, facebook is just too powerful to be hit badly by the potential loss of customers so I wonder if they will carry on with this. It's worrying how smartphones and tablets are being exploited as they have lax security. I guess it's inevitable that this kind of stuff happens but it is quite shocking to come from such a well known company.
 
It's not that smartphones/tablets have lax security, it's that users are dumb and like to moan :p

Android specifically in order for the application to access contacts, or text messages, or emails, or anything like that will require specific permissions, when the user installs the application they accept/allow those permissions.

If the app was accessing text messages without getting that permission then it would be lax security, as that's highly unlikely to be the case it's not lax security, it's the good old user problem.

EDIT to expand:

Ultimately Facebook's (and Google) purpose in the world is to gain access to personal information in order to sell it, nothing else, now if you accept that and they provide an essential service then fine but you can't really moan about it can you?
 
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As the first reply states:

Facebook Permissions on Android...

Your messages

edit SMS or MMS
Allows application to write to SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card. Malicious applications may delete your messages.

receive SMS
Allows application to receive and process SMS messages. Malicious applications may monitor your messages or delete them without showing them to you.

read SMS or MMS
Allows application to read SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card. Malicious applications may read your confidential messages.
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No one reads those anyway, but I have now. Uninstalled. :p
 
There's so many popular (50k+ download) apps that have way too many permissions to justify. Read/write browser favourites, install shortcuts, make phone calls, read contacts and use internet.

It's crazy to see what people are willing to give up for a crappy game.
 
SKILL said:
It's not that smartphones/tablets have lax security, it's that users are dumb and like to moan :p

Android specifically in order for the application to access contacts, or text messages, or emails, or anything like that will require specific permissions, when the user installs the application they accept/allow those permissions.

If the app was accessing text messages without getting that permission then it would be lax security, as that's highly unlikely to be the case it's not lax security, it's the good old user problem.

EDIT to expand:

Ultimately Facebook's (and Google) purpose in the world is to gain access to personal information in order to sell it, nothing else, now if you accept that and they provide an essential service then fine but you can't really moan about it can you?
Click to expand...

The issue I have with that is that there is no way to install the app without giving it permission to do that..
I want to use facebook on my mobile, I don't want it to read my text messages, but there is no way to do that, which is wrong as the app doesn;t need to read my texts..
 
edgedemon said:
The issue I have with that is that there is no way to install the app without giving it permission to do that..
I want to use facebook on my mobile, I don't want it to read my text messages, but there is no way to do that, which is wrong as the app doesn;t need to read my texts..
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Use the website? (which I'm lead to believe the app uses mostly anyway?)

Or one of the many hundred third party Facebook apps?
 
Android in privacy shock horror! TBH if you use Android then this is what happens. It's just a marketplace full of stuff that steals details and badly made iOS ports.
 
As long as there's nothing to hide on my phone like military secrets or illegal pr0n, then who gives a stuff if I've texted my mates Paul and Dave that we'll be meeting at 'Spoons tonight at 20:00?
 
I don't really care who reads my SMS messages. I don't like texting.... so usually limit it to

"Yes" - "No" or "Nite Nite" :p

Then give the person a ring if I need to tell them something.

Back to the OP. We have now had Android/IOS for a good few years now.
Why is it - that all of a sudden - people are actually starting to read the permissions and security / install notifications with mobile apps ???? And the same people are now wondering why these mega corporations are harvesting so much info about us - they could probably tell us what colour boxer shorts we are going to put on tomorrow morning.

Is it really that shocking any more ? There is no easy way to get around it - or opt out of it (unless you stop using smartphones - or live in the country with no electricity)
 
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The Sunday Times has done some creative conspiracy theorizing but the suggestion that we're secretly reading people's texts is ridiculous. Instead, the permission is clearly disclosed on the app page in the Android marketplace and is in anticipation of new features that enable users to integrate Facebook features with their texts. However, other than some very limited testing, we haven't launched anything so we're not using the permission. If we do, it will be obvious to users what's happening. We'll keep you posted on our progress.
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http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/26/2...s-reading-claims-the-suggestion-is-ridiculous

Everyone can take their tinfoil hats off now ;)
 
They, alleging an admittance, do people really take this seriously?
I think too many people are concerned about their privacy but have no issues spilling their every living thought on social sites with a publically viewable profile. Chances are they have no idea people can.
 
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