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Facebook bug shows camera activated in background during app use
Some people have complained their cameras got turned on while they were looking through Facebook's app.
When you're scrolling through Facebook's app, the social network could be watching you back, concerned users have found. Multiple people have found and reported that their iPhone cameras were turned on in the background while they were looking at their feed.
The issue came to light through several posts on Twitter. Users noted that their cameras were activated behind Facebook's app as they were watching videos or looking at photos on the social network.
After people clicked on the video to full screen, returning it back to normal would create a bug in which Facebook's mobile layout was slightly shifted to the right. With the open space on the left, you could now see the phone's camera activated in the background.
This was documented in multiple cases, with the earliest incident on Nov. 2.
[...] "I thought it was just my phone or the app acting up," Lasafin said in a direct message. "Then I observed it became more persistent that evening."
Facebook would like to assure users that it was unintentional that the layout bug revealed that the camera was secretly activated.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 13 2019, @05:41PM (2 children)
A physical switch can indicate to software your intention to turn something on or off.
But an on screen switch doesn't take up physical space, and can appear only at appropriate times when software determines that the switch should appear.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by Mojibake Tengu on Wednesday November 13 2019, @05:56PM (1 child)
No. True physical switch must cut the wire to the subsystem, eliminating its function. Best done by power line AND signal lines. It is a physical gap, not an UI. You can check the wire physically to audit the device. With on screen controls, you control nothing. The one who controls the software, controls you, owns you.
Respect Authorities. Know your social status. Woke responsibly.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 13 2019, @06:36PM
But hardware controls the software.
And China and / or Intel control the hardware.
A physical power switch would unfortunately remove all power from Intel's "management engine". (What do you think it manages?)
As it is presently, even when your machine is "off", Intel's hardware still can control everything, including powering up the device. What if it could only power up and use parts of the system to phone home, while keeping other things powered off, such as LEDs, cooling fans, etc. A physical switch would prevent that -- and Intel could not remotely control a physical switch.
(<no-sarcasm>I agree that a physical switch gives you real control, which is why we don't always get physical switches.</no-sarcasm>)
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.