There have been plenty of allegations over the years hinting that Facebook is listening to us through our smartphone microphones. Although the company has denied it countless times, there are thousands of people claiming online that this must be true.
Many people who use Facebook have pointed out on other social media platforms, like Twitter and TikTok, that they feel Facebook is listening to them based on ads that pop up on their page. One TikTok poster, Arlando West, posted a video stating that he and his sister were discussing a toilet. Shortly after, an advertisement for a toilet popped up on his Facebook page. He later was discussing a video game with his girlfriend that he had never heard of, and shortly after, out of nowhere, an ad for the game popped up on his Facebook page as well.
More and more people who use Facebook have been noticing these coincidences happening, and even though the company has denied the claims both in its privacy policies listed on the site and even before Congress back in 2018, people still aren't convinced.
If this is something that you are concerned about, the best thing that you can do is disable Facebook's access to your microphone. Facebook has stated that it only uses your microphone when you're using features like Facebook Live or making a call through the app, however, you can disable this if you want by following the steps below. Just remember that you will lose access to these features if you decide to do so.
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You should always make sure that all your social media accounts are protected because the last thing you want is someone hacking your information and making fake posts claiming to be you. Take a look at these extra steps you can take to make sure your account is always protected.
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Use two-factor authentication: this will make you type in a special code along with your Facebook password each time you log in to your account. This would mean that a hacker would have to know both your password and your code to get to your account. To set up two-factor authentication:
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Make sure you're using a current email address: if you ever have to change your password or other settings on your Facebook account, you must have an email address that you can easily access, as this is Facebook's main way of contacting its users. Check the email address connected to your Facebook page by doing the following:
Have a strong password: you must have a strong password with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols that a hacker won't be able to guess. It also would be helpful for you not to use this password on any other accounts you have, like social media and bank accounts. If you need to change your Facebook password:
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Get alerts about unrecognized logins: there is a setting on your Facebook account that you can turn on that will allow Facebook to alert you if there is an attempt to log in to your account that they don't recognize. Here's how to turn it on:
Have you noticed any suspicious ads or activity on your Facebook page? Let us know.
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