Facebook Messenger app permissions spark privacy concerns

tech2 News StaffAug 09, 2014 15:25:41 IST

There has been chatter around Facebook forcing users to download its standalone messaging app by discontinuing private chats from the mobile app. In fact, the company is believed to have began sending notifications to some users alerting them about the new change and asking them to download the Facebook Messenger for faster messaging. Now, the messenger app has sparked new concerns over privacy.

The social networking giant is now facing public ire over the outrageous permissions asked by the Facebook Messenger app. From your contacts list to giving Facebook full access to your network, the company has asked for a list of permissions. There has been speculation about Facebook using the app to snoop on users.  An older Huffington Post report had pointed out several such policies. For instance, ‘ability to call phone numbers without your intervention and use the camera at any time without your permission’.  “Facebook has pushed this too far. It’s time we stood up and said ‘no!," the report said.

Now, Facebook has come forward to clear the air. It states that the privacy concerns are simply blown out of proportion, according to The Wall Street Journal. It says the cause of the worries started because of an outdated language which Android updated last December. However, people are still acting in response to it. It further says the quotes in the Huffington Post article are outdated.

According to WSJ report, "Facebook also says the quotes in the Huffington Post article are outdated. Google recently changed the language it uses in its Android app permissions. The updated policy for the Facebook Messenger app on Android can be found at the bottom of this page, under the “view details” link in the Permissions heading."

The report further goes to explain how Android and iOS apps are governed by separate policies made by Apple and Google respectively. However, it adds that the Facebook Messenger app for both platforms is 'subject to the data use policies and terms that govern all Facebook users and every app within the Facebook family.'

"The bottom line is that, while some users might think it’s a drag to download a separate app for a feature that was once included in a single app, they’re not actually giving up a significant amount of additional privacy in the process," adds the report.