Source: iMore/Rene Ritchie
What you need to know
- Facebook for iOS can access your iPhone camera whilst you scroll through your news feed.
- Web designer Joshua Maddux took to Twitter to reveal the issue.
- The issue only seems to affect iOS 13.
A report suggests that Facebook for iOS may be able to actively use your iPhone's camera as you scroll your feed.
According to TNW:
iPhone owners, beware. It appears Facebook might be actively using your camera without your knowledge while you're scrolling your feed.
The issue has come to light after a user going by the name Joshua Maddux took to Twitter to report the unusual behavior, which occurs in the Facebook app for iOS. In footage he shared, you can see his camera actively working in the background as he scrolls through his feed.
In a screen recording where Maddux used Facebook, watching the footage back you can clearly see the camera open and in operation. Maddux says he used a bug in the app to see the camera behind the feed.
Maddux says he has been able to replicate this on 5 different iPhones running iOS 13.2.2. On iOS 12 the camera feed is not visible, but this isn't to say it's not being used.
Another Twitter user also noted a similar problem below:
TNW also confirms that that they were able to replicate the issue on the same version of iOS 13. The bug does not work if you haven't given Facebook access to your camera in your iOS settings. It seems the problem does not extend to Android.
Facebook doesn't have a fantastic track record when it comes to breaching the privacy of its users. It would be easy to jump on this as another similar failing, however there is no information to suggest that this is an intentional feature, and is most likely a bug. You can of course prevent it by revoking Facebook's access to your camera in iOS, simply go to Privacy > Camera> Facebook. Facebook only needs access to your photos, not your camera to upload pictures on iOS.

Review: EarFun Free Pro noise-canceling wireless earbuds are well-priced
Looking for truly wireless noise-canceling headphones that won't break the bank? Check out EarFun Free Pro wireless earbuds.

Tim Cook called to EU hearing on power of big tech, February 1
Tim Cook has been invited to an EU hearing on the power of U.S. tech giants on February 1, alongside Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Google Drive File Stream will get M1 support in April
Google Drive File Stream will reportedly get support for Apple's M1 chip and Apple silicon in April.

Great video editing software for your Mac
You don't need to buy expensive video-editing software to get the job done. Here are some of the hottest video-editing software for Mac on the market today.