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Facebook has officially denied that it uses the microphones in mobile devices to eavesdrop on conversations so it can target ads better. The social network issued a statement on June 2, Thursday reporting that it does not use a mobile phone's mic to affect ad-targeting and News Feeds. Facebook claimed it only shows ads based on profile information such as personal interests.
The company was responding to Professor Kelli Burns of the mass communications department at the University of South Florida (USF). Burns told The Independent this week that she believes the social giant was spying on Facebook users' conversations but had no solid proof.
Burns' claim was based on a personal experience. She claimed that she received ads that were similar to the topic she had just discussed on her smartphone, according to Engadget.
Facebook told Gizmodo that businesses only serve ads to Facebook users based on demographic info such as interests. However, it is not via audio collection.
This was not the first time such a claim has been made. One popular theory is based on the idea that Facebook is listening in when people use mobile app features such as video capture.
The presumption is that Facebook could be using the handset's mic to listen to people's devices all the time, to pick up phone conversations and in-person chats. It could then add related News Feed stories and mobile ads.
Nevertheless, taking such an action would be a privacy violation. Facebook explained in the recent statement that it only listens to people's spoken words when they use a microphone-specific feature and have given permission to an app, according to The Verge.
That includes a feature launched two years ago. It allows users to tag music or TV shows in the background when writing a Facebook status, and requires them to op-in.
Skype and similar voice call/video chat apps need to use a phone's microphone due to the software's functionality. However, for legal reasons the company still explains why it must access the mic.
Facebook users can switch off an app's access to the phone's microphone. On iOS and Android phones it is done in the Settings menu.
Here's how to master Facebook privacy settings:
