Facebook social network can secretly watch the users through the smartphone camera while they browse through the news feed. The unusual behavior of the iOS version of the application was tweeted by Joshua Maddox, accompanied by video evidence of his post.

The video shows that Facebook launches the camera in the background (and maybe recording) while Maddox scrolls the “Chronicle”. The fact that the camera is hidden behind the tape can be guessed from the thin strip on the left side of the screen. He also observed the same strangeness on five different iPhones with iOS 13.2.2, but in iOS 12 he could not find it.

The Next Web staff reproduced the problem Maddox described and confirmed his words. This feature does not apply to Android-devices, the journalists specified, and on the iPhone appears only if the user himself gave the application Facebook permission to access the camera.

Found a @facebook #security & #privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet. pic.twitter.com/B8b9oE1nbl

— Joshua Maddux (@JoshuaMaddux) November 10, 2019

Representatives of Facebook have not yet responded to the publication’s request. Is it really the iOS-version of the application peeping at the users, or is it just a common mistake, it is not clear yet. However, the active camera behind the main screen is a cause for concern – especially given Facebook’s terrible reputation for handling personal data.

If you don’t post “stories,” photos and videos from Facebook, it’s best to turn off your iPhone camera. You should also do the same with any other program that doesn’t need this feature. To see the list of applications that have requested access to the camera, open Settings -> Privacy -> Camera.

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