Facebook transcribed users' audio and passed it on -- report

[nitpicker]

https://www.dw.com/en/facebook-transcribed-users-audio-and-passed-it-on-report/a-50016404

Facebook transcribed users' audio and passed it on — report

Date 14.08.2019

Facebook has tested their transcription tool by having outside contractors listen to audio recordings of their users, US media reported on Tuesday. The practice, which was reported by Bloomberg, involved the users of Facebook Messenger. The report said the social media giant sent audio of anonymous conversations to at least one California-based company where human employees would listen and transcribe it.

Facebook has since said it stopped transcribing the audio recordings. “Much like Apple and Google, we paused human review of audio more than a week ago,” the company said to Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Facebook has long dismissed the rumors that it was listening to users' private conversations in order to target them with ads.

In a testimony before Congress last year, the company CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it a "conspiracy theory." "You're talking about this conspiracy theory that gets passed around that we listen to what's going on on your microphone and use that for ads," he told US lawmakers. "We don't do that."

On Tuesday, Facebook confirmed to Bloomberg the report but said it only affected the users who opted to have their voice chats transcribed.

According to the article, Facebook has never informed users that third parties may review their audio. The company's privacy policy says its "systems automatically process content and communications you and others provide" — but it does not mention audio or human teams transcribing it.

When it comes to sharing user's data with third parties, the company refers to "vendors and service providers who support our business," but does not provide details.
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[blueinredohio]

1. One more reason not to use Facebook.

[DetlefK]

2. Facebook doesn't even know who it is sharing their info with.

There was an article a year ago: Facebook is allowing so many companies to mine Facebook for data, they have lost track who is getting which data and what their contract actually says.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. This is going to be the same thing when everyone's DNA tests leak, when testing site's TOS change.

[Talitha]

3. NEVER assume privacy while on the Internet.

Chats, email, Messenger, etc.

[dalton99a]

4. Sneaky lying asshole: "We don't do that."

[lame54]

5. Do not trust facebook...

Or that weasel Zuckerberg