Facebook admits to using your phone's camera and microphone without your knowledge - and claims it was an 'accident'

Facebook has confirmed that its iOS and Android apps are accessing users' phone cameras without their explicit consent.<br><br>According to *TechCrunch*, on Tuesday, users began reporting that the Facebook app was accessing their phone's camera.<br><br>They noted the issue happened when the app was opened or when they were scrolling their news feed.<br><br>However, the issue appears to stem from a recent bug that occurred due to an iOS update. <br><br>'I don't think people should be surprised that Facebook, which *owns Instagram*, a photo/video-centric service, or WhatsApp, which has video calling, is trying to get camera access,' said Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook in a tweet. <br><br>'I *do* think it's poorly timed and a bad idea to release this feature right now, especially without additional model explanations/code auditing.' <br><br>'But, I don't think people should be surprised that the Facebook app is trying to get camera access...especially since the camera is used for services like facial recognition.' <br><br>However, the majority of users aren't buying Facebook's explanation for the issue. <br><br>'I went from trusting them to not trusting them in a heartbeat after reading their response,' said Carrie A. Rodgers. <br><br>'If the camera activates on an app where I do no video (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), I'm deleting that app. If Facebook needs to use my camera, it needs to get permission from me as well as tell me why it needs permission.'<br><br>Others are calling for the tech giant to be more transparent and to implement additional privacy measures. <br><br>'Transparency is key! I don't care if they did it by accident,' said Katherine Halle. <br><br>'I'm done with Facebook. They've sucked up Instagram too and now they're adding creepy functions to it. I'm not going to bother arguing with people about it. There are far better platforms for connecting with friends without being creeped on and spied.'