Facebook Messenger vs NSA

I was thinking the other day as I continue to see people freak out about the standard permissions that it requires for it to function...why does everyone freak out about Facebook permissions, but nobody cares that the NSA can and probably does listen in to your calls, your emails, your texts, track your location, and even use your phone while it's "off", and all without your permission or a warrant? And it's not just limited to the NSA, but even the police are spying on you...

Boundaries of freedom are crossed and obliterated by your own government. Facebook, which you have the personal choice of not using and have to accept the permissions and is actually bound by laws that, not being a lawyer or anything like that, I would assume prevent them from actually doing anything people think they will do. At worst, Facebook will use the data it collects for better advertisements to increase revenue. At worst, the government will take you away to a prison without charge or trial indefinitely.

Now consider what your spending your time worrying about. Included links to articles concerning NSA spying using cell phones:

• http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/08/cellphone-data-spying-nsa-police/3902809
• http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/06/technology/security/nsa-turn-on-phone/
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tracking-cellphone-locations-worldwide-snowden-documents-show/2013/12/04/5492873a-5cf2-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html
• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data

You should also remember that in this day and age, if a company as large as Facebook is in fact watching you on your phone and reading your messages without your knowledge that there is a good chance you'll know that they are doing that. For how many people they would have working on such a project, at least one of them would have the good conscience to come forward.

I've included the current permissions for Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts app taken from Google Play. Notice how they are almost exactly the same? If you want to have issues with Facebook Messenger, then perhaps you should worry about Google as well as most messaging apps and stop using all of them. At least if they do what you seem worried they will, they asked for permission first.


Facebook Messenger Permissions:

• Identity
• find accounts on the device
• read your own contact card
• Contacts/Calendar
• read your contacts
• Location
• approximate location (network-based)
• precise location (GPS and network-based)
• SMS
• edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• receive text messages (SMS)
• read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• send SMS messages
• receive text messages (MMS)
• Phone
• directly call phone numbers
• read call log
• Photos/Media/Files
• test access to protected storage
• modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
• Camera/Microphone
• take pictures and videos
• record audio
• Wi-Fi connection information
• view Wi-Fi connections
• Device ID & call information
• read phone status and identity
• Other
• receive data from Internet
• download files without notification
• run at startup
• prevent device from sleeping
• view network connections
• install shortcuts
• change your audio settings
• read Google service configuration
• draw over other apps
• full network access
• read sync settings
• control vibration
• change network connectivity

Google Hangouts Permissions:

• Identity
• find accounts on the device
• add or remove accounts
• Contacts/Calendar
• read your contacts
• modify your contacts
• Location
• approximate location (network-based)
• precise location (GPS and network-based)
• SMS
• read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• receive text messages (SMS)
• send SMS messages
• edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
• receive text messages (MMS)
• Phone
• directly call phone numbers
• Photos/Media/Files
• modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
• test access to protected storage
• Camera/Microphone
• take pictures and videos
• record audio
• Wi-Fi connection information
• view Wi-Fi connections
• Device ID & call information
• read phone status and identity
• Other
• receive data from Internet
• read instant messages
• Exchanges messages and receives sync notifications from Google servers.
• full network access
• control vibration
• run at startup
• use accounts on the device
• view network connections
• control Near Field Communication
• read Google service configuration
• prevent device from sleeping
• change your audio settings
• pair with Bluetooth devices
• change network connectivity
• send sticky broadcast