Facebook confirms it records call, SMS details on phones: Why, how and steps to turn it off

Facebook dropped a bomb on Monday. It confirmed that its Facebook and Messenger apps collect details on the calls a user makes and SMS that are sent through a phone. Although, the company says that it does so after seeking explicit confirmation for it from users. Permission or no permission, it is important to understand for users what this means: It means when allowed, Facebook collects details of every call you make and every SMS you send and then sends these details to Facebook servers where they are stored.

It's scary. It is also madness because Facebook doesn't really have a good reason to take this data. The company says that it wants this data to improve user experience, but that argument seems very thin. There are tens of other things that Facebook can do to improve user experience instead of collecting call and SMS records. It's not the kind of data that improves user experience. It is the kind of data that helps Facebook build a more through 36-degree user profile.

The answer to why Facebook records the call and SMS details of its users through the Messenger and Facebook Lite app has two aspects to it: One is what Facebook is officially saying and the other is what is probably happening in real.

In its statement, Facebook says: "Call and text history logging is part of an opt-in feature for people using Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android. This helps you find and stay connected with the people you care about, and provides you with a better experience across Facebook... Contact importers are fairly common among social apps and services as a way to more easily find the people you want to connect with."