In a bold move that is stirring concerns over user privacy, Facebook has reportedly been granted a patent that suggests a desire to observe its users covertly through their webcam or smartphone camera. The technology aims to discern your mood as you interact with the platform, thereby serving tailored content or advertisements that align with your emotions.
The somewhat intrusive concept involves analyzing people in real time via their camera as they browse online. The system is designed to identify emotions such as happiness, boredom, or sadness, and deliver advertisements that correspond with your current mood. For instance, if you’re feeling down, the technology could serve an ad designed to uplift your spirits or present products you’ve previously browsed when the timing feels just right.
According to the patent application, Facebook’s system could determine user preferences based on their reactions to specific content. For example, if a user looks away during a certain video (a kitten video, as stated in their hypothetical scenario), the platform’s algorithms would take this as a signal to avoid showing similar content in the future. Similarly, if a user’s expression changes while looking at posts or images from a certain person, the platform could adjust the amount of content shown from that person based on the user’s reactions.
While Facebook has filed several patents related to emotion-based technology in the past, this latest one, relying on ‘passive imaging data’, raises eyebrows due to its potential control over cameras that are not actively in use by the user.
As per an analysis by CB Insights: “This patent proposes capturing images of the user through smartphone or laptop cameras, even when the user is not actively using the camera. By visually tracking a user’s facial expression, Facebook aims to monitor the user’s emotional reactions to different types of content.”
The New York-based intelligence firm further elaborates on the complexity of this approach: “On the one hand, they want to identify which content is most engaging and respond to audience’s reactions, on the other emotion-detection is technically difficult, not to mention a PR and ethical minefield.”
Facebook’s patent portfolio also includes a text messaging platform designed to detect a user’s mood based on typing speed and intensity, thereby adjusting the message format, such as adding emojis or altering the font size, to match their emotion.
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This specific patent, enabling control over a user’s device camera, was granted in 2015. However, as of yet, the technology has not been launched publicly. Facebook, in accordance with its policies, will have to notify members ahead of any such changes – a move that would likely face significant resistance.
Addressing the controversy, a Facebook spokesperson provided the following statement to IBTimesUK: “We often seek patents for technology we never implement, and patents should not be taken as an indication of future plans.”
As online privacy issues continue to be a major concern, many users might be apprehensive about granting such intimate access to their devices. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shown awareness of potential privacy threats, as evident from a picture he posted online where his laptop’s webcam and microphone port were covered with tape.
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