Apple’s latest update for iPhones and other mobile devices, iOS 13, includes privacy-related changes to its operating system, which help to expose how Facebook has been tracking and profiling its users using Bluetooth, among other mobile technologies.
Apple’s iOS 13 devices are catching the background activity by third-party apps — like Facebook — that use Bluetooth to track nearby users, according to a report by Tech Crunch. Facebook matches Bluetooth and WiFi IDs in the same physical location assists the company’s profitable data-mining.
The report added that when combining the personal data that Facebook has already collected — and retains — on people with contextual data, such as location, the company is able to better surmise as to who is in close contact with who, and what the nature of relationships are between people.
Zuckerberg’s software tracking its users in the background — while they use Bluetooth for purposes that do not pertain to the social media platform — is very helpful for Facebook’s revenue, as it makes its money by selling advertisements.
Tech Crunch added that Android 10 has also recently put more power into the hands of its users by allowing them to only share location data with apps while they are using them.
Facebook responded to the changes last week by warning iOS and Android users that they should enable real-time location tracking on their devices as Facebook just works better when it knows where its users are at all times. Facebook describes these changes as “reminders” being sent to users.
“The new version of iOS, called iOS 13, will send people reminders about which apps can access their precise location information when they’re not using an app and how many times each app has accessed it,” said Facebook.
The company goes on to claim that “you’re in control of who sees your location on Facebook,” but then admits that switching off Location Services doesn’t actually mean that Facebook will no longer be tracking your location.
“We may still understand your location using things like check-ins, events and information about your internet connection,” says Facebook. But when the company says “understand,” it really means that it will “steal” your data, according to Tech Crunch.
“Just because you’re signaling very clearly to Facebook that you don’t want your location to be collected by Facebook doesn’t mean Facebook is going to respect that,” notes Tech Crunch.
“In a final shameless kicker,” the report adds, “in which Facebook almost appears to be trying to claim credit for smartphone OSes building more privacy features in response to its data grabs — the company seeks to finish on a forward-gazing note, per its preferred crisis PR custom, writing: ‘We’ll continue to make it easier for you to control how and when you share your location.'”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
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