Forbes reports that Facebook is using an undisclosed feature to secretly monitor iPhone users even with they disable location services, mining accelerometer data to pinpoint user locations and track app use.
Meta recently made the announcement that, to revive trust between its users and third-party apps, they might no longer share users’ location data without express permission from their website.
Location History
Facebook’s app tracks users’ locations by default and uses this data for improved services such as suggesting nearby friends or providing weather alerts, in addition to to fight security threats and fraud.
Some users object to being tracked by their social media marketing accounts, and also have even filed class action lawsuits against Facebook for tracking them without their consent. One such class action lawsuit led to Meta Platforms reaching an agreed upon $37.5 million settlement resolving claims that California law and their privacy policy have been broken by tracking user movements via smartphones — even after users switched off location services on them.
Facebook’s tracking system contains several indicators that investigators can use to trace a Facebook user’s location, such as for example when sharing photos with their friends. Also, longitude and latitude information stored with EXIF data of photos is useful in pinpointing exactly where a graphic was captured.
Another red flag is when Facebook users suddenly change their name or relationship status without notifying friends, which will be recorded within their profile and could signal hidden identities who use Facebook accounts to hide their activities.
Forensic cloud analysis can help investigators in tracking down Facebook user locations. This technique involves comparing a person’s online activity against other sources of data like call detail records (CDRs). When applied correctly, Forensic cloud analysis may uncover evidence in cases involving theft, murder, or robbery.
Facebook started notifying users on May 31 that it could no longer allow them to track their locations through two features, Nearby Friends and Weather Alerts. Facebook continues collecting and storing location data for “other experiences”, but users will no longer have the ability to track or download their location history from Facebook’s servers as of August 1, 2022, of which point all information will be erased from its servers.
Maps
Facebook users may not realize it, but each message sent from Messenger shares where you are data together with your contacts. A Chrome extension produced by software developer Rohit Khanna allows users to take this data and collate it onto a map. Dubbed Marauder’s Map after the Harry Potter character who tracked movements, this Chrome extension works by experiencing Messenger’s default “Location Sharing” setting for data collection purposes.
Facebook has been collecting this data since 2012; even though users opt out of Location Sharing on the apps. A Belgian court found the practice illegal and ordered Facebook to delete illegally collected data about citizens. However the company argued that it needed it for purposes like fighting hackers and spreading misinformation.
Facebook recently sent a letter to US senators in which it detailed ways it can still detect users’ locations despite them opting never to share precise details with it. Clues that could reveal one’s exact location include being tagged in photos taken at certain places, checking-in at restaurants and sharing an address during purchases; furthermore, all devices connected to the internet have IP addresses which allow Facebook to recognize an approximate area when a device may be located.
Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Friday a $37.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit alleging they tracked user locations through smartphones without their permission and monetised the data collected even when users switched off Location Services. A judge still must approve this settlement agreement.
Messages
As Facebook along with other internet companies seek to comply with new European privacy regulations, one of the major issues pertains to how they track users’ locations. A Belgian court ordered Facebook not to track citizens without their permission – although Facebook indicated it will challenge this ruling.
Facebook claims it uses clues such as being tagged in photos taken at specific places or checking directly into events on its platform to determine where people are. Furthermore, devices connected to the internet also have IP addresses which provide some indication of where they’re located (although this data could be less precise).
Facebook also uses messages sent from cellular devices using its app as another method for pinpointing people’s locations. These could include status updates, private messages and instant messaging conversations between friends. Facebook has been sharing this data since 2012.
Rohan Khanna developed software to see whether it was possible to reconstruct an individual’s movements on internet sites simply utilizing their messages, and his research revealed it to be both possible and straightforward.
Facebook recently delivered a letter to senators outlining how it can still track users even though they opt-out of having their location tracked. According to Facebook, knowing where someone is can assist with everything from showing ads for nearby stores to fighting hacker activity and combatting misinformation campaigns.
An investigation in California filed by Meta Platforms Inc, alleges that Facebook tracked over one billion iPhone users even when they had disabled location services. The settlement with them concluded claims that Menlo Park-based Facebook violated both California law and their very own privacy policies by secretly tracking users through apps on the phones.
Apps
Apple recently unveiled an advanced privacy feature that will enable iPhone users to see which applications are monitoring them – referred to as App Tracking Transparency – which shows those are collecting data and which type. Apple claims this new tool will enable people to make informed choices about protecting themselves, but some are disgruntled over how this new privacy measure operates.
This software resembles existing location-sharing applications like Foursquare, Highlight, Google Latitude and Apple Find My Friends; such apps could be useful but additionally can pose serious privacy concerns and drain battery. It remains to be seen if Facebook’s tracking tool will have similar issues; nonetheless it could raise concern among consumers and privacy activists who already distrust how Facebook handles personal data.
Facebook’s secret tracking system may use accelerometer data to pinpoint locations, surreptitiously trail mobile app usage and monitor activities without user consent or location settings being disabled. Cyber security researcher Tommy Mysk raised alarm concerning this suspected surveillance; noting that “Mobile minder” reads accelerometer data all of the time and can detect movements.
This past year, a Belgian court determined that Facebook violated privacy laws and required them to delete illegally collected location data from Belgium citizens. They will have appealed the order at a continuing two-day hearing in Brussels.
Facebook defended their program as legitimate market research project, noting that only aggregated geospatial views of a person’s home, work and other locations were shared with third-party researchers. Facebook further noted that participants over 18 were only designed for participation after going right through an obvious onboarding process seeking permission; independent third-party research verified this declare that collection wasn’t spying. Unfortunately how to trace ip address has rendered many of Facebook’s internal testing apps inoperable.