The social media network Facebook is considering a new location-based feature that could suggest friends based on who you are standing next to. The feature was revealed after a patent was won by Facebook in the US which utilizes the existing technology inside smartphones.
This patent covers features including Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC) which powers Apply Pay and Android Pay. The technology could also measure signal strength to determine how close you are to another user. The social media giant has stumbled through one cybersecurity blunder after another in 2018 and the little information revealed by the patent doesn't do much to settle fears, especially as the elections are getting underway.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So, to summarize today's ad action: <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/nbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBC</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Facebook</a> have all rejected an ad by the *President of the United States* because they consider it racist. Amazing.</p>— Paul Farhi (@farhip) <a href="https://twitter.com/farhip/status/1059512583814856706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Stop The Caravan! This is about being a nation of laws. You must enter our country LEGALLY. When will it be enough? When the caravan is 100K, 500K, 2MM in size? <a href="https://t.co/e9Xpgu0M4z">pic.twitter.com/e9Xpgu0M4z</a></p>— Brad Parscale (@parscale) <a href="https://twitter.com/parscale/status/1059503391766990850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The patent application says, "Under conventional approaches, a first user who desires to connect with a second user usually knows the second user's name, contact information, or at least has some level of mutual connection with the second user." According to Facebook, the feature could make it easier to get another person's contact info when it "can be challenging or inefficient" to find the person's profile in the app later.
Facebook explained the idea further saying, "During their meeting, the first user and the second user forgot to obtain each other's full names and contact information. Furthermore, the first user and second user do not have any mutual connections that are readily recognizable or apparent to each other. Thus, the opportunity for the first and second users to connect can be lost."
"These and other similar concerns can reduce the overall user experience," the company said. "People often utilize computing devices or systems to access, engage with, or otherwise interact with social networking services. For example, a user can use his or her laptop computer to search for and find a childhood friend via a social networking service."
Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/19981-Zuckerberg-and-Facebook-Under-Fire-AGAIN-for-Asking-Users-if-they-Condone-Child-Pornography">Zuckerberg and Facebook Under Fire AGAIN for Asking Users if they Condone Child Pornography</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Using your phone location to find that stranger on the bus, or the barista you chat to everyday, seems a little far-fetched. But Facebook has recently filed a patent, hoping to do just that <a href="https://t.co/y0rQ38ga3j">https://t.co/y0rQ38ga3j</a></p>— WIRED UK (@WiredUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/WiredUK/status/1059407481020006401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Facebook is looking to improve its user experience at the cost of more privacy of its users'. Ever user contributes their personal data to Facebook whether it is where they go each day, how often they talk to other users, or which ads they consume. The data stream paints a picture that can be read by computers and even sold to advertisers.
The company is already using data such as your phone contacts or Instagram account to decide who to recommend to your friend's list. The new feature will allow the app to check and see if you regularly attend events with a particular person, or share any common friends with other users.
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The system is supposed to be designed so that the app doesn't suggest complete and total strangers to you. Some users are pointing out Facebook's poor reputation when it comes to privacy and saying that the feature could be a dream come true for stalkers. Fears that the app would also increase safety concerns for children are also making some users hesitant to continue using the social media network.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Facebook´s mission is to connect people, not only online but also in the physical world, resulting in a questionable patent to suggest friends by sensing other people´s phones around you. <a href="https://t.co/EdGO3uBa4w">https://t.co/EdGO3uBa4w</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Facebook?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trendalert?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trendalert</a></p>— Trendbüro (@trendbuero) <a href="https://twitter.com/trendbuero/status/1059496497253883904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/7664071/facebook-track-feature-creepy-patent/
Twitter: #Facebook #Patent #MarkZuckerberg #Midterms2018 #JobsNotMobs #StopTheCaravan
