Since its inception Facebook has been slowly putting together your digital identity from your like down to your real-life movements. Now the social network has launched a new service that listens to everything.
Facebook has updated its app on iOS and Android devices with a new tool that can identify songs or television shows. Similar to Shazam, this new audio recognition feature will identify almost anything your listening to making it easy to post in a status update.
Friends seeing any posted songs will be able click on your shared activity for a quick 30-second preview of the tune.
The feature also works with TV shows including live TV and sporting event. Unlike songs, there won't be any embedded media in the news feed, but you can discuss Game of Thrones spoilers with your friends.
The update is gradually coming to mobile apps over the coming weeks to iOS and Android users in the US. Facebook has yet to release a timetable for when the update will come to all users.
Say what
The new listening feature is off by default so the Facebook app won't ever listen in without the user knowing. Once users turn it on manually the feature is one tap away with the smiley face icon on the status update window.
As a new part of Facebook's "Feelings" options, the new feature is just another way for users to skip typing and making the news feed a media rich experience.
See, hear, publish nothing
Facebook has a terrible privacy track record and history may be repeating itself again here.
Mashable alleges that the Facebook app listens in whenever users goes to the compose page, identifying songs or shows. Supposedly even if the user choses not to publish the information, it's still logged into Facebook's database somewhere.
Then there's the question of what else Facebook might be listening in on including regular conversations.
To help dissuade any spying fears, the Facebook app prompts users with a message before turning on the listening tool that reads, "we can't identify background noise and conversation. Sounds are only used to find a match and are never stored."
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