Much has already been written about the new Facebook Portal since it was announced earlier this week. Recode announced the launch with a post headlining concern about the privacy implications of such a device.
There is reason for concern. Remember last spring when Amazon's Alexa recorded a husband/wife conversation and sent it to their neighbor? Home security cameras have been around since the beginning of the internet but they, too, have potential privacy issues. However, the earlier Cambridge Analytica scandal and the recent Facebook breach make many people wonder whether a Facebook camera and mic in their home is a good idea.
No less a conservative icon than Forbes reprinted this from Facebook's own privacy policy. I reprint it again here because none of us ever reads Facebook's privacy policies!
10/9/2018 10AM: A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the company does record the complete call history of communications made through Portal: "Portal calls are powered by Messenger – as such we collect the same info we as we do on other Messenger-enabled devices. This includes information about the quality of the call or to inform your call history, for example." With respect to the ability of law enforcement to utilize Portal devices for remote surveillance, the company confirmed this could occur: "We may access, preserve and share information in response to a legal request (like a search warrant, court order or subpoena) if we have a good faith belief that the law requires us to do so. You can read our guidelines for law enforcement officials seeking records from Facebook in the Facebook Safety Center."
It's important to remember that Facebook has no choice but to collect user data. How else does it power "free?"
The answer, of course, is that it sells advertising, an estimated (Statista) $33.84 billion in 2018. How does it sell so much advertising? Facebook ads are so popular among marketers because they allow very precise targeting. The targeting is based on Facebook user data and enhanced with external data from the advertiser itself and from third parties.
User data is Facebook's stock in trade. It is hard to see how the company can ever wean itself away from its dependence on data. It also finds it remarkably hard to be open and complete with users when it describes its data collection and use policies. However, the new version of its policy for Messenger and similar products is actually fairly easy to read and should be a must before purchasing the Portal hardware!
Stay Safe!
Related Updates
Facebook can use portal data to target ads
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