Facebook and data protection. A topic that is always a hot topic. This time, a bug in the iOS application is causing trouble.
Web designer Joshua Maddux discovered a bug in the Facebook app for iOS that automatically activates the iPhone camera in the background - the user is not notified. To be absolutely sure, Maddux tested five different devices. The result - the software error was present on all iPhones. The Android version of Facebook does not seem to be affected by the bug, however. When users scroll through the news feed, the camera may be activated in the background and thus record the surroundings - the recorded image is hidden behind the news feed view. The whole thing was only noticed because of an error in the actual display. However, this bug does not seem to be present on all iOS versions. After the web designer made the problem public on Twitter, the bug was tested around the world. It turned out that the error is present on iOS 13.2.2, while users of iOS 13.1.3 are not affected. But now things are getting interesting. The data protection problem also seems to occur in iOS 12.4.1, as an iPhone 7 Plus user reports. It remains unclear for now whether the bug is present in other iOS versions.
How to prevent the camera from being activated on Facebook
Now, of course, some are wondering whether the problem can be prevented until the bug is completely fixed with an update. Yes, it can. To do this, simply revoke Facebook's permission to access the camera and microphone in the iOS settings. Open your iPhone's Settings and tap the Privacy menu item. Now navigate to the Camera field and then deactivate the "Facebook" option. Now switch back to the Privacy view and select the "Microphone" section. You can now toggle the switch for Facebook here as well. (Photo by Worawee / Bigstockphot)
Update: Feedback from our community revealed that the problem also exists under iOS 13.1.3 on an iPhone XS. Thanks Vinni!
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