Christopher Parsons, a postdoctoral fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs’ Citizen Lab, said the fact that Facebook is asking for access to so much data is not surprising given the way the Android operating system works, but said users’ concerns over privacy are still legitimate.
“People enjoy the functionality of the app, but they’re sort of shocked when they ascertain or remember that ‘Oh yeah, this is what I actually have to give up in order to use contemporary, full-scale social media,’ ” he said.
Parsons, who is also managing director of Munk’s Telecom Transparency Project, said the odds of the data accessed by Facebook falling into the wrong hands are slim, describing its cyber-security staff as among the most aggressive and well-financed in the world.
Still, he said companies like Facebook could do a much better job at explaining to users why it needs their permission for so many different functions. It could, for example, offer a scaled-down version of its terms and conditions written in a language that anyone can understand, said Parsons.
He said even though more and more people have realized over the past week the extent of the Messenger requirements, it’s unlikely that Facebook will see a mass exodus of users.
“People may feel they don’t have any actual option, because if they don’t download the app, they can’t communicate with their social network,” said Parsons.
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