Facebook’s Portal Devices Can be Used to Target You With Ads

Facebook is a social network, but it’s also a means for the company behind the social network to serve up ads and marketing materials for businesses all across the globe. And its newest video devices don’t change that.

When Facebook announced the Portal and Portal+ video calling devices, it was reported at the time that the company wasn’t collecting data for the specific purpose of ad targeting. So even if you used Spotify on the device that wouldn’t be used to dish out Spotify-related ads on other Facebook-owned platforms — or across the internet in general as you browsed the web. But it turns out that’s not the case at all.

While Facebook said at the time the Portal devices wouldn’t be used to bolster its ad targeting for users, that’s apparently not the situation. As noted on Tuesday by Recode, Facebook can indeed use the information it gathers from the Portal devices to build up advertising efforts for individuals. So while the Portal devices themselves don’t, or won’t, have ads, that doesn’t mean that after you use one of the devices you won’t see related ads elsewhere on the internet, especially on Facebook’s services.

“Portal voice calling is built on the Messenger infrastructure, so when you make a video call on Portal, we collect the same types of information (i.e. usage data such as length of calls, frequency of calls) that we collect on other Messenger-enabled devices. We may use this information to inform the ads we show you across our platforms. Other general usage data, such as aggregate usage of apps, etc., may also feed into the information that we use to serve ads,” a spokesperson said in an email to Recode.”

So, where does the confusion come from? Apparently it boils down to the fact that because the Portal devices don’t show ads, that’s what the initial statement was about. Basically, the Portal devices don’t show ads so the Portal teams aren’t planning on using the information they gather from folks using the devices to distribute targeted advertising.

So Portal can use collected data to distribute targeted advertising, which Facebook could use to show on its other services, but that might not happen because, for now at least, Portal doesn’t show ads:

“I think [my colleague] was intending to say that we don’t intend to use it,” Camargo told Recode. “Potentially, it could be used.”

So it looks like while the Portal can indeed be used to develop targeted advertising efforts per individual, that won’t be the case for now.

Our Take

The change isn’t surprising in the slightest. This is Facebook we’re talking about after all. This is just another device the company can use to bolster its streams of information it gathers from its users, which it can then use to build advertising efforts. The fact that Portal doesn’t show ads (yet), and that’s the only reason Facebook won’t be using that data for those uses doesn’t necessarily leave me at peace.

Are you planning on putting a Facebook Portal device in your home?

[via Recode]

Like this post? Share it!

Facebook Unveils Portal and Portal+ Video Calling Devices

Facebook is out with its first hardware products: the Portal and Portal+ — Smart Displays meant to live in your living room or kitchen which are primarily meant for doing video calls. The former features a 10.1-inch screen with WXGA resolution and 10W speakers, while the latter features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with 20W speakers and a 4-inch bass woofer.

Both devices feature “Hey Portal” voice recognition and have tight integration with Facebook services. This means the ability to do voice or video calls over Facebook Messenger and Facebook Watch integration. They also have Spotify and Pandora integration.

Portal and Portal+ have two AI-based features: Smart Camera and Smart Sound. The former automatically pans and zooms to ensure that everyone is in view in a video cal, while the latter minimizes background noise and enhances the voice of whoever is talking.

The Portal and Portal+ will take on Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s upcoming Home Hub smart display. However, the Portal devices also feature Alexa integration so one can use Amazon’s voice assistant for checking the weather, controlling their smart home devices, and more.

Privacy is a big issue with Facebook especially with recent developments which is why the company is putting a lot of emphasis on it. Users can completely disable the camera and microphone on the Portal and Portal+ with a single tab. They also come with a camera cover so that one can easily cover the camera when not in use. Facebook is also providing users with the option to set a 4 to 12-digit passcode for Portal before anyone can use it.

The social networking giant is also making it clear that it “doesn’t listen to, view, or keep the contents of your Portal video calls.” All video calls over Portals are encrypted. All AI features like Smart Camera and Smart Sound run locally and no data is sent to Facebook’s servers whatsoever. The devices don’t have facial recognition and do not identify who is using the device as well. Lastly, Portal only sends those voice commands to Facebook servers which are said after the “Hey Portal” keyword. And even that can be easily deleted from one’s Facebook Activity Log.

The Portal and Portal+ go up for pre-orders starting today, with the former priced at $199 and the latter at $349. If you pre-order both, you will receive a $100 discount. The devices will start shipping in November.

Compared to Amazon Echo Show, the Portal devices seem pretty limited in nature with a strong emphasis being laid on video calling. Interestingly, one cannot even use the devices to browse their FB newsfeed which is really telling.

➤ Portal

[Via FB Newsroom]

Like this post? Share it!