Earlier we reported that Facebook will send your conversation data to TV networks and how Facebook stores everything you type on the social network even if the message is not published. Now a lawsuit has been filed by Michael Hurley and Plaintiffs Matthew Campbell in California district court which claims that Facebook reads, stores and shares user’s personal messages from their inbox and share them with third parties like government, marketers and advertisers etc.
The major point highlighted in the lawsuit is Facebook’s scanning of personal chats carried out by users with each other. The document claims that users who think their communication is not being spied, they reveal such facts about themselves which they would never discuss if they were known to the face that their conversations are under surveillance by Facebook.
The seventh point of the lawsuit says that:
- “Representing to users that the content of Facebook messages is “private” creates an especially profitable opportunity for Facebook, because users who believe they are communicating on a service free from surveillance are likely to reveal facts about themselves that they would not reveal had they known the content was being monitored. Thus, Facebook has positioned itself to acquire pieces of the users’ profiles that are likely unavailable to other data aggregators.”
Facebook has replied to the issue by calling the case:
- “without merit.” “We will defend ourselves vigorously.”
The lawsuit is claiming the greater of either $100 (£61) a day for each day of alleged violations or $10,000, for each user.
