Facebook has been stirring up a lot of controversy in the past few weeks with the launch of its new messenger app. The app itself has existed for a while and has been through numerous updates since its launch. However, after a new update to the app and an update to main Facebook mobile app, all hell has broken loose.
Facebook Messenger App Privacy Issues
Before, you could send messages to people from the main Facebook app and have a full blown conversation on the standalone messenger. This was the user’s choice and it was not required to have the messenger installed.
The update to both apps have left people with an annoying consequence, you now have no choice but to use the Facebook Messenger app. It doesn’t sound like too much of a hassle but it really is. If you haven’t got a top of the range iPhone or Samsung Galaxy then you’ll probably notice how annoying this can be, more so than others who do. The time it takes for you to see that you have new message in the Facebook app, tap the icon and then wait for the messenger to open is ridiculous on some devices. It’s just way too slow to be plausible and there’s no getting out of it for most of us.
The annoyance continues if you haven’t got the messenger app installed onto your phone. It is now a requirement to send messages through the Facebook app. The mobile browser and desktop versions are exempt from this rule.
As this has been receiving a lot of attention from all over the world, it’s no surprise that people have been looking deep into the new terms and conditions set by Facebook when downloading the app. In order to use it, you now have to give Facebook permission to take pictures using your camera without permission, send text messages and add contacts to your phone book. There are a wealth of other ridiculous terms and other Facebook Messenger app privacy issues that now must be agreed to, but these are the ones that caught my attention the most.
It’s worth noting that for a limited time, the messenger can be avoided on Apple devices. If you haven’t got the app installed, go to send a message in the Facebook app and you’ll be greeted with a prompt to download it. If you start downloading the Messenger app and cancel it halfway through, your messages on the Facebook app will work as normal. This is for the time being only though and will probably be fixed with the next update.
So, what do you think about the Facebook Messenger App privacy issues? Drop us a tweet with your thoughts @TeamTillison
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