A bug has been allowing Facebook access to iPhone cameras as users scroll through their newsfeed on the social media giant's site, the company confirmed on Tuesday. The issue came to light after a user Joshua Maddux flagged the issue on Twitter earlier this month. Maddux tweeted a screen recording of his iPhone camera opening as he scrolled through his feed on Facebook.
Found a @facebook #security & #privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet. pic.twitter.com/B8b9oE1nbl
— Joshua Maddux (@JoshuaMaddux) November 10, 2019
Several users had already spotted the bug earlier in the month. One person called it “a little worrying”. It is believed the bug relates to the “story” view in the app, which opens the camera for users to take photos.
Confirming the bug, Facebook on Tuesday said that the issue was found in the latest version of the iOS app. Android users have no reason to worry as of now. The bug appears to only affect iPhone users running the latest iOS 13 software, and those who have already granted the app access to the camera and microphone. According to tech experts, one workaround is to simply revoke camera and microphone access to the Facebook app in their iOS settings, until the bug is fixed.
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The issue would cause the Facebook app to “navigate to the camera screen adjacent to News Feed when users tapped on photos”, The Guardian reported citing a company spokesperson. The company added it is submitting a fix to Apple within a day.
The bug seemed a bit unsettling as users have long suspected Facebook of eavesdropping on them through phone microphones to better target them with advertising.
