Reuters published a report that Facebook has hired a team in Hyderabad, India, to collect and categorize user data, such as photos, statuses and more. The team is collecting all the data users have posted since 2014.
Employees categorize the data into five categories and then give it to experts to create new features and functions based on what users upload. This process also helps train AI professionals.
However, users have no idea about third-party control of their data and probably won't be too happy to find out.
The Indian company Wipro has been used for exactly this purpose. To check and categorize data. Last year, it was paid $4 million for this work. It has about 260 scientists, who have been analyzing the posts for the past five years.
Wipro employees say this project allows them to understand some things about people's lives.
The analysis is performed on all data: statuses, shared links, event posts, Stories, videos and photos, and even screenshots of user conversations in Facebook's various messaging apps. Screenshots and comments may also include passwords.
The data is not only collected from Facebook users but also from Instagram. It is also done globally and in multiple languages, including English, Hindi and Arabic.
The bad thing is that not only public posts but also private data are monitored and users can't do anything about it. According to the new GDPR rules, Facebook and other companies will have to offer more transparency and let users know more about their policies.
Facebook, however, says that it has taken care to protect users' privacy and that the procedures are carried out in accordance with the rules.
