An Ars Technica investigation discovered Sunday that Facebook has been gathering phone and message metadata from Android phones. Facebook claims it does not sell this data and that it was always an "opt-in" feature. Regardless, if you want to make sure Facebook isn't collecting this data, it's a fairly easy process and there's no real good reason to leave those permissions on.
Here's how...
Step one: Find your mobile phone's settings on your Android.
Step two: Scroll down to apps and tap on that.
Step three: Find and tap on Facebook.
Step four: Scroll down to Permissions.
Step five: Make sure both telephone and SMS permissions are not selected.
Relatively easy, right? With those permissions off, Facebook will no longer be able to scrape the metadata of your phone calls and messages.
Good to go!
Tech Enabled: CNET chronicles tech's role in providing new kinds of accessibility.
Logging Out: Welcome to the crossroads of online life and the afterlife.
How to set up Google's two-step verification: To better protect your digital life, specifically your Google account, turn on two-factor authentication for your Gmail account. With a few minutes of setup time, your account will be much more secure -- with very little hassle.
How to book an Uber or Lyft with Google Home: Use a Google Home and your phone to get the best ride.
Discuss: How to make sure Facebook isn't scraping your call data
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.