Facebook always Tracks User Location
The social networking giant, Facebook, is continuously tracking its users’ location even when tracking services are off.
This revelation came as a response to an inquiry from Senator Josh Hawley and Senator Chris Coons. These two senators have asked the company to “respects” users’ decision to keep their locations private.
According to a letter the company sent, it tracks the users’ location by deducing the general areas from context clues.
These clues include locations they tag in photos and their devices’ IP addresses.
The technology company said it is not as precise when users enable the tracking services. However, Facebook added that it uses information for various reasons.
Among these reasons are clamping down on false information. It also uses the tracking to notify the users if their accounts have been accessed in an unusual place.
At the same time, the Zuckerberg-led company admitted that it also targets ads using the deduced information. Also, it doesn’t allow users to turn off ads that target their locations.
According to the company, this is “by necessity.” If it does otherwise, “people in Washington, DC, would receive ads for services or events in London, and vice versa.”
Facebook Efforts “Insufficient”
Meanwhile, Hawley wasn’t buying the company’s explanation.
Hawley said that it showed the modern technology company “admits it.” He also added that this was what Big Tech does, and it was the reason Congress “needs to take action.”
Technology news also reported that Coons felt the efforts were “insufficient.” He added that they were even misleading.
Echoing Hawley’s statement, Coons said the company just confirmed that there’s no way users can prevent the social media giant from using their location.
Solutions to Big Tech Problems
Lawmakers and regulators have been searching for ways to rein in Facebook’s power.
Elizabeth Warren, a US presidential candidate, has called to break Instagram and WhatsApp away from the social media giant.
Also, the Free Trade Commission is probing whether the company bought its rivals to disrupt competition.
Meanwhile, the technology company argued that breaking up the company wouldn’t fix its problems. At the same time, it wouldn’t be able to fight spam and crime across its services.
Lawmakers have then proposed federal privacy legislation that aimed at granting users more control over data.
But the Congress has been hesitant about the legislation in the past. It feared that such regulation could get in the way of innovation.
