Many people wonder if Facebook is listening to their conversations through their phone’s microphone. With targeted ads and friend suggestions, it can sometimes feel like Facebook knows more about you than it should. While the idea may seem far-fetched, Facebook does have access to your phone’s microphone. However, the company claims it is not listening to or recording your conversations.
How Facebook could access your microphone
When you install the Facebook app on your phone, you grant it permission to access certain features like your camera and microphone. This allows you to take photos and videos from within the app and go live on Facebook. However, it also gives Facebook the technical capability to listen to conversations if they chose to.
Additionally, Facebook owns several other apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. If you’ve installed any of these on your phone, Facebook has access to the microphone there as well. They also own Oculus VR headsets which have microphones built-in.
So in theory, Facebook could be listening even when you’re not directly using the Facebook app. However, there is no evidence that they are actually doing so.
Why people suspect Facebook is listening
Facebook shows users targeted advertisements based on their interests and demographics. Additionally, it suggests friends based on mutual connections and shared interests.
Sometimes these advertisements and suggestions can feel a little too spot-on. For example, if you’re talking about needing new running shoes with a friend, you may suddenly see shoe advertisements when browsing Facebook.
Situations like these lead some to speculate that Facebook must be listening to conversations to target ads and connections so accurately. However, Facebook claims it does not listen to or store audio recordings.
How Facebook targets ads without listening
While it may seem like Facebook listens based on coincidental timely advertisements, there are other ways they target users:
Your activity on Facebook
Everything you do on Facebook – react to posts, share articles, search for pages – provides data about your interests. This allows Facebook to build a profile and target relevant ads to you. Talking about running shoes on Facebook could cause running shoe ads without listening to conversations.
Information and connections
Your profile information, friends, liked pages, and groups all indicate your interests to Facebook. They can suggest friends or advertise related products based on these connections.
Off-Facebook activity
Through Facebook Business Tools, businesses can share information about interactions users have with them offline. For example, if you visit a running store website through a shared browser cookie, they may share this with Facebook. Then Facebook knows to show running ads without listening directly.
Third-party data brokers
Various data brokers sell consumer data to advertisers like Facebook. This shared information like your purchase history allows targeted ads based on offline behaviors.
Location services
If you have location services enabled, Facebook can target ads based on the businesses you physically visit without listening to microphone recordings.
Lack of evidence Facebook listens
If Facebook was recording conversations or using microphone data for ads, there would be some trace of this activity. However, no evidence has indicated Facebook listens without permission:
No audio recordings found
Technology analysts have scoured Facebook’s code and app activity for any sign of audio collection or transcription features. Nothing has been found indicating Facebook records audio or converts speech to text.
No unexplained activity spikes
Listening and processing audio from millions of users would use massive computing resources. There would be noticeable spikes in data and activity from running transcription services at scale, which data analysts have not observed.
No whistleblowers
Given Facebook’s size, if unauthorized audio collection was occurring it’s likely insiders would have reported on it. But no employees, former employees, or leakers have produced proof.
Legal liability
The legal and regulatory penalties if Facebook got caught deceiving users about listening would be severe. It’s highly unlikely they would take such a risk without users’ consent.
Facebook’s statements on microphone access
Facebook has directly responded to questions about their access to phone microphones with firm denials:
Congressional testimony
In April 2018, Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress and denied Facebook uses microphone audio for ads or content in response to lawmakers’ questions.
Blog post statement
Facebook published a blog post in May 2018 stating: “Facebook does not use your phone’s microphone to inform ads or to change what you see in News Feed.”
Public interviews
In multiple televised interviews, Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives have consistently denied listening to users’ conversations.
Based on the technical evidence and official statements, there is no proof Facebook uses microphone data without consent. While they technically have the capability, it would be illegal and highly risky if done without disclosure.
Can users opt-out of microphone access?
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of Facebook accessing your microphone, there are steps you can take:
Adjust app permissions
On an iPhone, go to Settings – Privacy – Microphone and disable access for the Facebook app. On Android, go to app permissions in Settings and toggle off microphone access.
Disable microphone access system-wide
On iPhones with iOS 11+ you can completely disable microphone access from Control Center by pressing and holding the microphone icon. On Android devices running Android 10+, toggle off microphone access in Settings.
Delete the Facebook app
Completely removing the Facebook app from your phone prevents any possibility of microphone access. You can still access Facebook from a mobile browser.
Keep in mind disabling the microphone may affect intended functionality like taking videos or going live within Facebook. But the app otherwise functions normally without microphone permission.
Conclusion
While Facebook technically has microphone access on mobile devices, they claim not to use audio data without consent and no evidence proves otherwise. If you’re uncomfortable with the possibility of Facebook listening, disable microphone access or remove the app from your phone. But realistically the risk seems low, and there are less invasive ways Facebook targets ads and content.