The new iPhone update coming later this month will allow users to get reminders when Facebook is tracking them in the background.
With the upcoming release of iOS13, Facebook went ahead and published an explanation on how the new iOS will affect the way the social networking site will be accessing user’s location data.
The explanation which, was published via the Facebook blog, also suggests that location settings will still be in full control of Facebook users.
Earlier in the year when Apple announced the release of iOS13, many privacy advocates pointed out that the new Apple mobile OS will introduce several changes to location data for third-party apps, such as Facebook.
iOS 13 will present periodic popup notifications whenever an app is using the user’s location in the background. The notification will also show a map of the location data tracked by a specific third-party app. This is Apple’s way of helping users know who’s tracking them.
Users will then be able to direct whether to “always allow” or “allow once” an app from accessing users’ location data. The “allow once” option lets app access a precise location of the user’s device only once. Currently, when users are using iOS devices, there are three options of sharing precise location namely “always”, “only when the app is in use” or “never”.
Facebook, knowing that when iPhone users update to the new iOS they’re going to get a visual indication of how much Facebook is tracking them, has put out the post pre-emptively – telling readers why they should let Facebook continue to track their location.
According to Facebook, they will still make it easier for Facebook users to control their location settings. The announcement also specifically mentioned that Facebook still knows and understand the location of users based on their check-ins, internet connectivity connection, and other means.
Facebook assures its users that they will still be able to control who sees their location whenever they check-in to Facebook. Users will also be able to control whether devices will share precise location information through the Facebook location settings.
It’s thought that Facebook made the announcement way ahead of the release of iOS 13 to avoid the backlash that it expects to get from users, specifically since it’s a well-known fact how the Facebook app has been using location data heavily for some time.
Facebook says it still believes that its platform is better when it tracks your location. According to Facebook, location data powers other Facebook features such as check-ins and events planning. It also helps “improve” ads and helps keep the whole Facebook community safe.
