Facebook app listens in the background for targeting ads | Hacker News Reader

Facebook app listens in the background for targeting ads

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35 pointsbeyti13 comments

By the way, why use the Facebook app when you can have a shortcut to Facebook.com on the home screen ? ... Make it a "mbasic.facebook.com" shortcut, it will allow using private messages without the need for Messenger. Discovered here on Hacker News, thanks!

I had 2 instances where this happened to me recently. Once was with Twitter and once with Facebook.

Mentioned Disney parks in a conversation in the car with my parents and the next day had Disney ads, never before.

About 2 days ago was talking about night guards for teeth with someone and the next day had Invisalign ads on Facebook.

I don't have the Facebook app installed, but do have the messenger app. I just turned off microphone access to the app and now it won't let me take pictures in-app.

Family got off the Interstate to get gas. We verbally considered Speedway -- a couple hundred yards up the road but then saw that the closer Mobile was easier to drive to and had the same price. Never drove to the Speedway. Never touched the smart phone with regard to it.

Some hours later, saw my first ever Speedway ad on Facebook. Never seen one before, even after pulling off at other exits having Speedways, for gas, and IIRC even filling up at one a time or two. (Note that I keep Android location services turned off on my phone.)

This is not the first time in the past couple of years that I've seen an ad or "Suggested" content on Facebook that relates to something that was only discussed verbally, a short time prior.

See also current discussion about this topic:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15581114

If people really think that's the case why don't they uninstall facebook immediately?

They do and use the browser instead, doubling their battery life and halfing their data usage. Sending all this audio is pretty expensive it seems.

I have heard reports of incidents similar to this one from several of my friends. There is some undeniable "spookiness" going on. It may or may not be Facebook using the mic.

There are possible confounds:

1. The algo's are that good, meaning that the spookiness is explained by them having other data (say about your peer group) and then knew that you wanted that gourmet coffee press that you and your wife talked about, before you talked about it.

2. We may be unaware of the sheer number of times we are being targeted on the web.

So add in a salience factor where you are targeted millions of times, by pretty good algos, and then only notice the ones where there is that coincidence that lead to a feeling a "spookiness."

I am sure that explains some of these... but I am still left unsure about the mic issue!

Simple question. Is there a way to reverse engineer the app or sniff its network traffic (to find clues) to find out if this is real or not ?

I just assume that it's more likely than not that a company like Facebook will listen surreptitiously whether I like it or not

Doesn’t seem likely unless Apple is working with Facebook to surreptitiously activate your microphone, which is highly unlikely.

The Facebook app asks for permission to access your camera and microphone. Assuming a user gives it access, doesn't that mean they have free rein to do so?

IIUC, apps that use the microphone in iOS make a red bar appear at the top (as if you were in a phone call) when you’re not in the app. For this not to be the case with Messenger, Apple would have to collude with Facebook.

Any relatives that have cats? Pictures where you were tagged had cats?

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