Facebook has been accused of using its mobile applications to gather information about users and their friends, including non-subscribers, reading their text messages, tracking their locations and accessing photos on their phones, a report by the Guardian said. A court case in California has brought these allegations against the social networking giant.
The claims of mass surveillance are part of a lawsuit that has been lodged against Facebook by a former startup called Six4Three and are listed in legal documents which are part of the two-year long ongoing case.
Six4Three has alleged that Facebook used many methods, some of which are adapted to different phones used by people, that would allow them to read their messages, track locations by remotely switching on Bluetooth without a user being aware and to track and monitor their calls, among other things.
According to the Guardian, Facebook has reportedly claimed that these are confidential business matters and has had the details of these claims redacted from filings in court by Six4Three.
One of Six4Three’s allegations is that Facebook ‘lured’ developers and investors onto the platform with misleading claims and tracked users extensively without their consent. The company also claims that Facebook was able to collect metadata and the content on text messages, while on iPhones it had access to photographs, even ones that were not uploaded onto the social media platform. Non-subscribers who sent messages to subscribers also allegedly fell prey to Facebook’s tactics.
The Guardian report also says that the court documents say the Facebook was able to do much of this by surreptitiously setting an early end to privacy settings which could then expire without notice.
Facebook has responded to Six4Three’s claims, reportedly saying, “Six4Three is taking its fifth shot at an ever-expanding set of claims and all of its claim turn on one decision, which is absolutely protected: Facebook’s editorial decision to stop publishing certain user-generated content via its Platform to third-party app developers.”
The newspaper has also quoted a Facebook spokesperson as saying that Six4Three’s “claims have no merit, and we will continue to defend ourselves vigorously”.
While Facebook is arguing that the case being dismissed, under a feature aimed to protect freedom of speech, Six4Three is opposing the motion.
(With inputs from The Guardian.)
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