The topic of data sharing is very sensitive. A lot of people check what application requests what access, what it boasts (e.g. why a file manager has access to contacts). Facebook goes the other way and encourages sharing the location.
The case has specific grounds. New releases of mobile systems, i.e. iOS 13 and Android 10, contain additional options in privacy settings. Fresh Android 10 instead of a zero-one approach to access to location data for applications (we allow it or not, without details), it still allows access specifically at any time (even if the application is not really used, only the manually turned on process runs in the background) or only when using the app.
Android and iOS with new location settings
The situation is similar with iOS. The system allows you to always share location information (including when running in the background) only when we use the program, or not at all. According to Facebook, it may mix up a new variant in which data is shared only once. In addition, we can count on notifications when the app running in the background requests location information, and even a map and a message about the purpose for which this data was processed.
There's additional trouble on Android. Settings inside the Facebook application itself. In addition to access from the system menu, we must also enable the exact location in the program of Mark Zuckenberg. Although are these really troubles and problems? As for Facebook.
According to Facebook, the location works "for our good"
In its newsroom, the group explains that it's obviously for the benefit of users, because the application will work better on Android and iOS with all active locations, and in addition we have control over who sees our location. Well, it's probably about ads and commands, and not some useful options, because so real use of the application will not suffer too much.
It will only cause even better operation of mechanisms on which Facebook earns. After all, are we really supposed to think that it's all about the convenience and welfare of users? The more that privacy is in the price and after many scandals related to Facebook (e.g. the last data leak), it's hard to trust this giant.
Source: gizmodo, newsroom.fb