An American user has just filed a complaint against Facebook, accusing the Instagram application of spying on her through her iPhone.
In the US, Brittany Conditi documented a claim against Facebook on Thursday in a government court in San Francisco. This client blames Facebook-possessed Instagram for keeping an eye on her by accidentally initiating her iPhone camera each time she opens Instagram. Android is positively influenced as well.
In the beta version of iOS 14, available for a few months, a feature allows you to check if your microphone or your camera are active. If applicable, an orange or green circle appears on your screen. This is how many users have noticed that the green light comes on when they launch Instagram. In other words, the camera would activate and then remain active in the background as soon as the application is opened.
“Instagram always accesses the camera function of users’ smartphones while the app is open and monitors users without permission,” the complaint read. And to assert that Instagram and Facebook “have been able to monitor the most intimate moments of users, including those in the privacy of their own home, in addition to collecting valuable information and market research on its users ”.
No content is recorded, says Facebook
Contacted by PaperGeek, Facebook has yet to respond to our request for a response. Last summer, the social network mentioned a bug – since corrected – to explain the untimely activation of the camera. “We do not access your camera in these cases and no content is recorded,” hammered the social network, quoted by The Verge. “We only access your camera when you ask us to, for example, when you switch from stream to camera.”
Ultimately, we can never be too careful with the cameras of our connected devices. Because in addition to applications, anxious to collect our data, malware is legion, especially on Android. So much so that Mark Zuckerberg himself doesn’t hesitate to cover up his webcam with a piece of duct tape. In this regard, you can (re) read our article explaining why it is important to disable your webcam. Don’t miss out on our 10 tips to learn how to use Instagram better.