When users download Facebook’s free Messenger App for mobile devices, the odds are good that they don’t thoroughly read the Terms of Service that Facebook makes them agree to before downloading. However, as The Huffington Post pointed out in a recent blog, it might be a good idea for users to take a closer look.
Here are just a few of the shocking permissions that users agree to when they download Facebook’s Messenger App, per The Huffington Post:
- Allows the app to call phone numbers without your intervention. This may result in unexpected charges or calls. Malicious apps may cost you money by making calls without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to send SMS messages. This may result in unexpected charges. Malicious apps may cost you money by sending messages without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to record audio with microphone. This permission allows the app to record audio at any time without your confirmation.
- Allows the app to take pictures and videos with the camera. This permission allows the app to use the camera at any time without your confirmation.
Though this Facebook app may be free to download, it’s clear that Facebook is getting its money’s worth by finding and exploiting user data. Most people know by now that apps often come with tricky language in their terms of use, though many users are most suspicious of third-party apps. However, as these Terms of Use make clear, even officially sanctioned apps from a well-respected site like Facebook can make you sign over more information than you may not be comfortable disclosing.
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