Facebook may be using data from your camera roll - what to do about it

Privacy guidance has been issued to all Facebook users after an expert revealed how its parent company, Meta, could be accessing your camera roll - including photographs you've never even shared. The advice was shared by the Good Law Project, who took to TikTok to demonstrate how to check if your Facebook account is affected.

"Right now, Meta could be looking at your camera roll," they said in a video. "Meta have quietly introduced this new setting that allows itself to look at your camera roll and use that as data information." According to the Good Law Project, Meta say the feature is an "opt-in or out thing". So, what can you do to check your device?

First, using your Facebook app, head to your profile's menu and tap 'Settings and Privacy', followed by 'Settings'. Next, scroll down to 'Camera roll sharing suggestions' and tap that.

You will then be presented with a page that reads: "Manage how your camera roll can be used to help you create and share on Facebook. You can control camera roll access at any time in your device settings."

To ensure Meta doesn't use data from your camera roll, toggle both of the following to off if they are currently highlighted blue:

• Custom sharing suggestions from your camera roll
• Get camera roll suggestions when you're browsing Facebook

The Facebook app explains that the first of these options when set to 'on' is designed to use basic data from camera rolls such as videos that users have favourited and when photos were taken to "suggest custom creations already arranged and edited with things like transitions, music and effects".

Whilst the second has been established to enable Facebook users to "occasionally see" photos and videos from their camera rolls "to remind" them they have "new sharing suggestions available".

In response, several TikTok users were shocked to discover that their existing settings had seemingly allowed the social media platform to access their camera roll. One fumed: "I just checked and mine was also blue/ticked."

A third person also expressed their displeasure: "Thank you for this. I had no idea. I've turned these off now." And a fourth user chimed in: "Just went and checked mine, and they were ticked too. I'm sure they probably layered it in a recent 'agree to update' or something."

Indeed, a TikTok user who iworks in IT advised: "As a developer I can tell you for certain that you allowed that option, maybe years ago but you allowed it. It cannot be bypassed, it requires user approval. It's in the iOS/Android SDK."

Meta has been invited to respond.