Facebook will not unveil its smart speaker at the F8 developer conference, postpones the launch to later this year

tech2 News StaffMar 28, 2018 10:33:24 IST

Keeping the Cambridge Analytica data scandal in mind,  Facebook will not be unveiling its smart home products such as a smart speaker that was expected to see a release at the F8 conference in May.

Representational image. Reuters.

The data leaks have created furore amongst the people as well as authorities. It has also put Facebook in a sensitive spot.

According to a Bloomberg report, Facebook was keen to unveil a smart speaker at the F8 conference, but the scandal has pushed the plans further. But, the release of the smart home device will take place later in 2018.

The smart speaker is much like Amazon's Echo and Google's Home which comes with artificial intelligence capabilities. During the development of this device, the usage of user data was reportedly kept in mind. The focus was to make the device personal and intimate. Facebook had also chosen a group of people to test the device.

But considering that Facebook is fighting off the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal and data protection watchdogs in the US, UK and the EU are keeping a strict watch over Facebook and its data sharing policies, it just makes sense to delay the release of a smart speaker.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal broke when whistleblower Christopher Wylie revealed how the data of 50 million users in the US was used to manipulate them during the election season in 2016. The breach of users' personal data to a third party named Cambridge Analytica raised questions regarding Facebook's take on maintaining user privacy.

Facebook Developer Conference also known as F8 is slated to take place on 1 May and 2 May 2018 in San Jose, California.