In a new report that may not surprise anyone, it says that the Facebook application on the iPhone is blatantly spying on you through the camera, even with the "loose" privacy standards of the most famous social network, how does Facebook spy on us and how do we prevent that?
In a new report by TNW, Twitter user Joshua Maddux recently discovered that he noticed strange behavior on the Facebook application on his iPhone, he noticed that his camera was already working in the background while browsing, see the video below. He mentioned that the problem only appeared due to a bug in the current version of the Facebook application on iOS 13.2.2.
And Maddux confirmed that he had repeated that thing on five other iPhones running iOS 13.2.2 and the problem remained, and he tried the same thing on a device running iOS 12, but he did not find that problem on him and thus he was certain that the problem only existed on the iOS 13.2 version. This problem only occurs when the application is open so that you can see the camera open behind your web feed or feed. Here, it appears that there is a defect in the background of the application, as if it were a curtain that did not cover all of what was behind it. Watch the video:
Found a @Facebook #security & #privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet. pic.twitter.com/B8b9oE1nbl
- Joshua Maddux (@JoshuaMaddux) November 10, 2019
TNW also re-experimented more broadly, and found that it is not present on devices running iOS 13.1.3, as well as conducted the experiment on Android devices running Android 10 and found that the problem is not present. But the warning still persists, it is possible that the camera may already work and you do not see it, while Facebook is watching.
To be fair, the most likely explanation for this, and the one that Facebook is sure to offer anyway, is that it's just an unintentional mistake. But the fact that Facebook can enable the iPhone's camera without the owner's knowledge is a very sad and shameful thing from Apple because its testing team is supposed to discover this problem and does not approve the application's release, and even after knowing the vulnerability, it did not stop the application from the store Until you update it.
A little reassuring is that the camera driver is likely not recording anything and publishing it on the Facebook network, but we don't rule out the possibility that that footage will flow to Facebook's servers for analysis.
We tried FaceBook on iOS 13.2 and the issue didn't appear so it might appear in iOS 13.2.2
How can I prevent this Facebook spying?
Fortunately, Apple itself is one of the most privacy-conscious companies, so it provides its own privacy controls that even Facebook itself hasn't come up with a way around it.
In short, this is only an issue if you give Facebook access to the camera at the iOS level. Thus, Facebook can operate the camera and see anything through it. And if you block Facebook from accessing the camera, the camera will not be launched in the background or elsewhere.
And if you already enabled Facebook to access the camera, you can still easily turn this off:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Privacy
- Click on the camera
- Find the setting for Facebook, then tap the switch next to it to turn it off.
While in this section, check out the other apps that have given you permission to access the iPhone camera; Any application with this access can secretly record you, and unlike the MacBook, the iPhone and iPad do not have an LED indicator to notify you when the camera is turned on.
Disabling camera access for the Facebook app can be a little annoying, as you will no longer be able to take photos, record videos, or broadcast live directly to the Facebook app. Instead of giving him access to the camera, take pictures or record video clips using the standard camera app on the iPhone, then open Facebook and upload whatever you want on Facebook from the camera list itself.
As a more careful measure, you can always follow the advice of former FBI Director James Comey and put a tape on the camera as Mark Zuckerberg did it himself, it is his habit that he puts tape on the cameras of his devices, and this is enough to make you think about protecting yourself and taking your full precautions before embarking on using Like those apps.
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I wrote this problem on your forum, but no one cared, and you can review my comments, and whenever I finished watching a video on Facebook, the back camera would turn on by itself, forcing me to exit Facebook to turn off the camera.
Your brother Radwan al-Maghribi
It is true that I am on version 12, when I am browsing Facebook, the camera opens on its own for Facebook
Before reading this excellent article, I turned off all of the access to the camera, the mic, and some things about the Facebook application, and when I tried again, the problem still persists even after the closure
Be careful, my brothers, you enter the bathroom with you, while you are bathing, they may see your nakedness through the device's camera. Thank you.
Facebook is a profit-making company that most of its earnings are based on collecting the largest amount of information about users and selling it to sovereign bodies. The price is estimated to be higher according to the volume of information and how much it contains secrets of public figures
Delete it and let it die, I don't know why do people like Facebook .. I hate my site
true
True words to me, I wiped it XNUMX years ago And before I did not delete the account secretary and asked them to cancel my account completely as if it was not and after how many days they sent me a confirmation but of course they tried to convince me that I leave it without what I canceled and I said no
True 👍
Peace, mercy and blessings of God
Regarding the issue of Facebook spying on the iPhone.
I would like to inform you that the problem is not limited to iOS 13
I'm on version 11.4.1 and the same problem happened to me
And I add that it causes significant battery consumption
And I have sent you an email containing a picture to verify my words
The problem is not limited to version 13
I'm on version 11.4.1 and the same problem happened to me
I do not trust Facebook in the first place, as it has closed everything related to privacy
I will not do the last update knowing fully that there are problems
even me
I do not take any precautions because no one cares about my current status as many people do. These matters and precautions are taken by famous personalities that some care to follow every little and big about them.
It is not true, they do not care about a certain limit, they collect everyone’s data because your data and privacy are the most important thing for you without them you become almost a shame in front of them
It is true, but be careful when you enter the bathroom with you, they may spy on you while you are naked!
Do not carry your phone with you to the bathroom, you don’t know, perhaps they are already watching us
Nothing in settings / facebook / camera 😬
There is no Facebook in Settings / Privacy / Camera
Hahahahahahahaha very good
There is always no trust on Facebook
And I do not trust anything connected on the Internet
May Allah reward you well. You are really loyal ❤️
Thank you ..
If we are going to put a sticker on the camera, there is no need for the smartphone at all.
Apple must act and take the necessary measures against such privacy-spoofing applications.
We ask Apple to add an alert to the system when an application reaches the camera or microphone ...
As for Facebook, it is able to follow you even in dreams
Everything is watched, you are watched, and I am not afraid of anyone who watched me until you die. This is directed at companies and governments, when God meets with opponents.
I notice Apple's increasing neglect of privacy and application quality ?!