Facebook even saves your unpublished videos. What?
In yet another shocking revelation about Facebook, it has been reported that the social media giant stores all the videos that were recorded through its webcam but never published. Users have the option of filming videos on Facebook itself, the final outcome of which can either be discarded or published. Except that now we know the unused clips were also saved by Facebook.
Facebook user finds several unpublished takes of her video
Facebook user Bailey Kircher was sifting through her downloadable Facebook data file when she found several "takes" of her playing a scale on a flute. These were recorded but never published before the final video, which she was satisfied with, was published on her friend's wall. In one of the clips, Kircher can be heard saying that it's her 13th take.
There're videos of me just checking my teeth: Facebook user
Another user Brittany Stephanis found several unpublished videos in her data archive, some of which dated back to 2008 when she was 13 and had started recording on Facebook to wish her friends happy holidays. "There are videos of me just checking my teeth," she said, explaining that some of her Facebook webcam activity was clearly not meant to be posted.
Facebook gets away with it, citing data policy
According to Facebook's current data policy, the company can "collect the content and other information you provide when you use our Services, including when you sign up for an account, create or share, and message or communicate with others." Since the videos were "created" on the platform, without having used a separate webcam, Facebook can technically save them.
However, Facebook said they are "investigating"
A Facebook representative said on the matter, "We've heard that when accessing their information from our Download Your Information tool, some people are seeing their old videos that do not appear on their profile or Activity Log. We are investigating."
Facebook collects call, SMS records from Android devices
Last week, users found that the Facebook app has been collecting call records and SMS data from their Android devices. "Uploading your contacts allows us to use information like when a call or text was made or received. This feature does not collect the content of your calls or text messages," Facebook had tried to justify.
