Facebook had to publicly revealed how it handles user data following the Cambridge Analytica revelations and Europe’s new strict privacy laws. The information comes via a 229-page document Facebook submitted to the US Congress, it lays out in typed form what Mark Zuckerberg testified to at his April grilling.
With some help from Business Insider, a shorter version that showed a couple of bits that may or may not be public knowledge yet was given.
For example, you probably know that Facebook (and any smartphone application for that matter) knows about your Operating system, browser, carrier or ISP, and your IP Address.
Here are some of them outlined below:
- Mouse movements: Facebook records your mouse movements to distinguish you from a robot.
- Browser Window: Another way Facebook distinguishes that you’re human is by monitoring whether your browser window is “foregrounded or backgrounded.â€
- Device information: Facebook also collects data about your devices, including your battery level, signal strength, available storage space, file names and types and plug-ins.
- Network: Facebook also knows your mobile operator, internet service provider, and IP address, as well as your cookie data, time zone, and internet connection speed.
- Device signals: The company also tracks Bluetooth signals and information about nearby Wi-Fi access points, beacons and cell towers.
- Nearby devices: According to Facebook “in some cases, information about other devices that are nearby or on their network, so we can do things like help them stream a video from their phone to their TVâ€.
- Data from device settings: Facebook tracks user’s GPS location, camera or photos if the permission for these have been given by a user. Call logs and SMS log history are also recorded if users choose to sync their Android devices or upload data.
- Purchases: Data about your “online and offline actions†and purchases from third-party providers is collected, in addition to information about the “games, apps, or accounts†people use.
If you want to read the full Facebook response to Congress CLICK HERE.
