FB Uses App To Spy On User Activity

Facebook is not able to get over the criticisms surrounding the privacy and data breach of the user information and activities. Recently, a ripple of the similar issue has arisen due to the acquiring of an app named Onavo five years back.

Onavo is an Israel-based app that is utilized by the users to safeguard data during the browsing sessions. Facebook has been using this app since 2013. However, the company has now revealed that it doesn’t use Onavo to tie the information of the customers to the social profiles. On the other hand, it has also admitted to monitoring the activities accomplished by the users on the platform. This is done with a motto of improving the products and to understand the pattern of demand.

In April, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, had to face the Congress in order to clarify all the allegations brought against the platform after the scandal of Cambridge Analytica surfaced. In response to the questionnaire, answers have already been submitted.

During the interrogation, the members wanted information on whether or not Facebook is using the traffic data collected by Onavo to monitor the popularity of the other applications. Apart from this, the legislators also wanted to know if the social media platform is using Onavo to develop products according to the demand of the customers.

Facebook has responded to the questions by stating that it has never used personal data of the customers to develop any product. It has also revealed that the customers of Onavo are informed in the first screen of the app being used by Facebook. It further mentioned that the customers have always been informed of the conjugation and the information which are being shared.

On the contrary, it was reported that Onavo has helped Facebook acquire WhatsApp, the biggest-ever deal of the platform. Along with it, the live video feature is also backed by Onavo apart from the other changes.