In what comes as no surprise, is now being reported that Facebook has been collecting audio data from Messenger voice chats. And to sweeten the deal, it was also reported that this data was given to outside contractors, who were paid to transcribe these chats, reported Bloomberg.

However, users affected are only those who opted into having their chats transcribed, but the issue stems from it being a third party transcribing the data. This wasn’t disclosed to the users who agreed to it, and makes all this a bit more shady. Facebook apparently collects this data and has contractors to transcribe it to check the accuracy of its automated speech-recognition systems, according to Bloomberg. The report also goes on to add that the practice has “paused”.

Some of these contractors involved in the transcribing the data said they felt what they were doing was unethical. This was because Facebook hadn’t informed users that they would have access to this audio data, the report went on.

This isn’t something that particularly surprises me. Facebook has had a myriad of privacy issues as of late, and they’re just not doing anything to make it any better. They should really try considering their users every once in a while, rather than viewing them just as a ‘number’. An analytic.

They’re people, and sure, they use their platform, but Facebook is the one that controls that data. The equivalency exchange isn’t there, and I’m frankly waiting for the day we all abandon Facebook as a whole. But I HIGHLY doubt that will ever happen. One can dream, though.