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After a phone conversation I had last week, I noticed the targeted ads within my Facebook feed (mobile) changed to reflect the nature of my conversation.
Odd I thought, and dismissed it thinking I must have made an internet search previously although I was pretty sure I hadn't.
Fast forward to this week and it appears to have made the technology press!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/31/facebook_is_listening/
That's some pretty evil tactics Facebook.
I wonder how long before STW takes this approach!
Either way, beware people 🙂
Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas
And duct tape
And cake
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Is a shit app anyway. Got rid of it ages ago and made my MotoG 4g miles faster and saved loads of internal memory.
Doesn't Siri and the Google voice app on Android do pretty much the same thing?
I've got nothing interesting to say. If they want to listen, they can carry on.
Nope. The difference between siri et al is that they require an activation word before it starts listening and switches itself off after. Besides, they have a use.
This is always on and used purely for no other reason than collecting information about you to target you with ads.
Nope. The difference between siri et al is that they require an activation word before it starts listening and switches itself off after. Besides, they have a use.
This is always on and used purely for no other reason than collecting information about you to target you with ads.
Think about that..
Or depending on what version of android you have, you can go into permissions for the app and disable the ability to use your mic and other bits.
It will be interesting to see how countries like Germany react, they have much stricter privacy laws than the UK or US. I suspect that this will be in breach of those, but they haven't always been willing to use them in recent times.
I just don't see how Facebook have enough processing power to analyse the conversations of every body who has installed the app (which stretches into the hundreds of millions if not billions of people). The story seems to agree that there's no evidence of this happening. It's not to say the app doesn't have the mic active but I just don't see that it'd be possible to process things. Also, it'd show up on your data constantly as voice bandwidth isn't really that light if it's sending every word it hears.
Atlaz: Who says the compute is done at the back end? It would be a shame to waste all those spare CPU cycles on your hugely powerful 4 core phone? I'll just send the results back to Facebook. Much more bandwidth friendly
Gears_suck: I agree that siri will be used for nefarious means also, but at least it has a façade of usefulness. It's the sneaky tactics by Facebook I object to.
So in an app around 100Mb in size, Facebook have worked out how to do voice transcription for all major global languages? Smart people. Cortana, Siri, Google Voice etc all work by sending the voice data to servers for analysis as it's really quite complex.
Tinfoil hats on
Cortana, Siri, Google Voice etc all work by sending the voice data to servers for analysis as it's really quite complex.
Not necessarily, you can download (at least on the latest versions of Android) offline voice recognition.
[i]If your device isn't running JellyBean, you will need Internet connectivity for the voice input to work. If your device is running JellyBean, you can go to Settings | Language & Input | Voice Search and download the offline speech recognition pack.[/i]
From: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/software-engineer/make-your-next-android-app-a-good-listener/
But I'm pretty sure you need to download a language pack per language you want to transcribe. If that's possible for multiple languages inside a social media app that's 127Mb on an iPhone I'd be VERY surprised.
Fortunately, I have a fairly broad Glaswegian accent and, as a consequence, I'm completely immune to all voice recognition technology.
I hope it doesnt recognized my Clingon conversation with a mate 😯
So one lady, who admits she had searched previously for, spoke once and now claims that the app is listening?
That is almost Daily Wail territory.
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That was my first thought also. However, later in the article FB appears to confirm it, sort of; sounds more like a Shazam / Soundhound sort of thing than decoding conversations.
Facebook says this about its use of the microphone: "We use your microphone to identify the things you're listening to or watching, based on the music and TV matches we're able to identify."
At least someone is listening to me.
music and TV matches
So yes, more like Shazam, they recognise certain sounds. But they're not listening to you tell a mate about this MTB forum you use and then suggesting an Audi and Santa Cruz in ads
This thread needs moar anecdotals. Off you all go to chat random nonsense near your Facebook app and report back on dodgy ads served.
But I'm pretty sure you need to download a language pack per language you want to transcribe. If that's possible for multiple languages inside a social media app that's 127Mb on an iPhone I'd be VERY surprised.
The pack is part of the OS, not the app itself - at least on Android. I imagine iOS would be the same. It could quite easily already be on your phone, included as part of an iOS update.
Targeted ads will hunt you down.
Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas Perchypanther for Christmas
And duct tape
And cake
Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order Restraining Order.....OOOOOOh Cake!
I'm pretty dubious, but completely agree with El Reg's observations that:
Facebook has repeatedly given itself access to people's personal data and then begged forgiveness afterwards.
...
Its explanations also follow a familiar trend of Facebook responses: vague policies, followed by clear denials, followed by a new set of policies.
So on that basis I've turned off access to the mic just to be sure as I've never used the music/tv/film recognition stuff anyway.
@atlaz why would it need multiple languages, most of us only speak one and facebook can easiky detect that. Also they do not need to translate/understand every word or meaning, just certain keywords which is what they do for other advertising when scanning your emails, posts etc
Do I believe they are doing this ? Probably not but its possible. Why have facebook not made a flat our denial ? Why was facebook prepared to pay so much for Skype and did pay a high price for WhatsAp then launch voice messaging there and via facebook calls ?
Facebook doesn't even show as having access to the mic or ever requesting it on my iPhone so can't see how Apple would let that happen.
This article suggests it is only on when you press the mood button and not all the time.
http://osxdaily.com/2013/11/26/apps-with-microphone-access-list-ios/
Facebook doesn't even show as having access to the mic or ever requesting it on my iPhone
You sure somouk? It does on mine.
Look under Settings > Facebook > Settings > Microphone
Newer versions of Android allow you to dictate what permissions each app can have. Although my mic was denied access by default.
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[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35639549 ]BBC on smart phone spying[/url]
You sure somouk? It does on mine.Look under Settings > Facebook > Settings > Microphone
Positive, I've looked under there and Settings > Privacy > Microphone and it's not in either.
App is up to date as well.
They must have decided ahead of time I'm not worth listening too.
Facebook doesn't even show as having access to the mic or ever requesting it on my iPhone so can't see how Apple would let that happen
What os version are you running?
Mine has it in: Settings > Facebook > Settings > Microphone.
Edt: You've tried everything, I've got nothing more...
Why was facebook prepared to pay so much for Skype
Unless I've missed something, Microsoft bought Skype.
Unless I've missed something, Microsoft bought Skype.
Microsoft own a few % of FB. I'm sure there's some sharing...
What os version are you running?
9.3.2, all up to date on a 6S
I am now randomly saying the word "Giraffe" in the office. I have never typed this word into my phone, neither can I recall ever viewing a picture of a giraffe on my phone at any point.
Will be expecting many giraffe related adverts later. 😉
9.3.2, all up to date on a 6S
That's odd - so what options do you see under Settings->Facebook->Settings then? Do you still see other stuff like Location, Photos, Camera etc and just no Microphone?
Mine looks like this:
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Same here, up to date 6s no microphone option in Facebook settings, screenshot vvv
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If Facebook have access to your mic, what do GCHQ/NSA have on you?
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And why was a key player in the Paedophile Information Exchange who was in contact with Jimmy Savile and a number of politicians head of the GCHQ Masonic lodge?
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Perhaps Siri has an answer?
No mic option on my 5S either.
From another article in the Independent it was suggested that was currently only in place in the US.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-using-people-s-phones-to-listen-in-on-what-they-re-saying-claims-professor-a7057526.html
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If Facebook have access to your mic, what do GCHQ/NSA have on you?
I'm sure GCHQ have nothing like as much processing power as Facebook, so they're not going to even try unless you are already a person of interest.
I'm sure GCHQ have nothing like as much processing power as Facebook
They wouldn't need it - they'd just need enough budget to feed it through [url= https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/cognitive-services/speech/ ]Microsoft's Cognitive Services Speech API[/url] 🙂
If Facebook have access to your mic, what do GCHQ/NSA have on you?
there's been a thread on here about that before I think, is it the seven dwarves or something, one of their tools Snowden leaked info about, basically they can drop code onto your phone via sms that you don't even know about 😈
In iOS, when an app is closed (you hit the home button) the app has 5 seconds to save what you were doing before it's kicked out of accessing anything. This is called sandboxing and is absolutely fundamental to how the iOS system works, and how iOS offers security to users
Because this is so fundamental to how the OS works, it wouldn't be possible to make this work without rewriting from the ground up the whole operating system, changing vast amounts of the very core iOS is built upon.
Your app delegate’s applicationDidEnterBackground: method has approximately 5 seconds to finish any tasks and return. In practice, this method should return as quickly as possible. If the method does not return before time runs out, your app is killed and purged from memory.
Of course, your app can run in the background state - for example Google Maps. But these have to be approved by Apple as part of their rigorous approval process, and it has to have tangible benefit to the user. If Facebook somehow got Apple to let them listen to users with the app in a background state that means someone at a high level at Apple approved that. Everyone enjoys bashing on big business but I don't think Apple would approve spying on their users.
Can it detect the sound of masturbation?
Just asking for a friend like...
Can it detect the sound of masturbation?Just asking for a friend like...
No but your housemates can smell it anyway.
is it the seven dwarves or something
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34444233 ]Smurf Suite[/url].
This is called sandboxing and is absolutely fundamental to how the iOS system works, and how iOS offers security to users
True, but Facebook does seem to have some kind of special status on iOS - it's not just a vanilla app, it appears in its own section in Settings and hooks into Contacts in ways that other apps can't. So it is [b][i]possible[/i][/b] that Apple allow them out the sandbox a little.
True, but Facebook does seem to have some kind of special status on iOS - it's not just a vanilla app, it appears in its own section in Settings and hooks into Contacts in ways that other apps can't. So it is possible that Apple allow them out the sandbox a little.
Yeah, you'd be naive to think Facebook don't get some special treatment, but I think spying on users would be a step too far. Apple have quite a staunch record on users privacy.
If Facebook somehow got Apple to let them listen to users with the app in a background state that means someone at a high level at Apple approved that.
It certainly runs in a background state (as a service) on Android, that's how it can pop up alerts when someone "likes" your photo or whatever. Doesn't it do something similar on iOS?
It certainly runs in a background state (as a service) on Android, that's how it can pop up alerts when someone "likes" your photo or whatever. Doesn't it do something similar on iOS?
Thats a push notification.
https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained
On android, notifications don't need opt in. iOS you have to give permission.
in both cases, the OS themselves have a service that enables notifications to push. They don't require the app to be open, and when you receive a push, it doesn't open the app. (unless you choose to)
Thats a push notification.https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained
On android, notifications don't need opt in. iOS you have to give permission.
TIL, I stand corrected. ❗
Screen grab from my 6+, running whatever version of iOS it's updated to; (checks) 9.3.2 (13F69).
The mic was on, it seems by default, I've switched it off, can't really see any point in having it on for Fb.
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Facebook has voice calling through messenger, I imagine thats the reason (smokescreen) for having mic access
Just switched ours off on all devices fwiw
Messenger is a separate app (on iOS at least).
The Facebook app justifies the microphone because they use it to ("optionally") identify what TV/film/music you are watching or listening to:
http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/05/a-new-optional-way-to-share-and-discover-music-tv-and-movies/
On the technical side regarding data, it's quite possible to quick analyse on device and create hashes of the data and send them to the back end. Image comparison often works this way. Hash the data to get a signature which is a small amount of data and then compare signatures in a database on the back end for a similar match. Likewise done with audio, rather than send a whole sample over the wire.
What are you guys on about? This is well known behaviour and another drain on phone resources :/
Messenger becomes mandatory soon, no more mobile site access.
This is well known behaviour
What is?
*confused*
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36443926 ]Prof denies it.[/url]