Meta tracks user activity across Facebook and Instagram

Share This Post

- Advertisement -

Meta uses computer code that allows it to track user activity, a former Google engineer claims.

In an app on iOS, links to an external website are usually directed to a Safari web browser. That process does not exist in Meta, denounces Felix Krause. In a recent blog post published Thursday, August 10, this former Google engineer claims that Mark Zuckerberg’s company is skipping this process for its Facebook and Instagram apps. Thus, on these platforms, external links refer to a specific internal Meta browser, explains Felix Krause.

- Advertisement -

So far nothing serious. Problem: While browsing in this alternative browser, the Instagram and Facebook apps may inject JavaScript code into visited websites that allows the user to be tracked. This code snippet is called Meta Pixel. “Allows you to track visitor activity on your website”: “clicking” on an ad, button, link, selection, and text input (including address, account password, credit card code banking, etc.), summarizes Meta on a dedicated page.

Meta questions the alleged facts

However, according to The Guardian, there is no evidence that Meta used this code to collect sensitive data. On the other hand, on iOS, if the user has not allowed ATT tracking on Facebook and Instagram apps through the tracking request window, Meta cannot collect this information except online activity after opening a link. in one of these applications.

- Advertisement -

For its part, the American giant reacted by denouncing the report by Felix Krause. “These claims are false and misrepresent the operation of Meta’s built-in browser and Meta Pixel. This code was developed precisely to honor user choices for Application Tracking Transparency (ATT) on our platforms,” ​​Meta argues.

Author: By Louis Mbembe
Source: BFM TV

- Advertisement -

Related Posts