Facebook has penned a new blog post attempting to set the record straight on exactly how it collects call and SMS data, and how you can further control the information you send to it. The post comes after recent media reports seemed to suggest that Facebook was collecting user information without user’s knowledge.
In the blog post, Facebook said:
“When you sign up for Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android, or log into Messenger on an Android device, you are given the option to continuously upload your contacts as well as your call and text history. For Messenger, you can either turn it on, choose ‘learn more’ or ‘not now’. On Facebook Lite, the options are to turn it on or ‘skip’.”
The firm pointed out that it will continually collect data while the feature is enabled but it did mention that you can switch it off in your settings if you no longer want it to collect the data. Additionally, if you do upload contacts, you can go to this Messenger Contacts page to see which numbers and email addresses you’ve uploaded.
The firm stated that it does not collect the content of calls or texts and that the information they do collect is stored securely and is not transmitted to third parties. Of course, if you"re still skeptical of what exactly Facebook collects and stores, you could always completely delete your Facebook account.