Facebook can figure out where users are even if they opt out of location tracking, the social media giant has admitted, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.
Facebook's revelation, in a letter it sent to two U.S. senators who had requested that the company address the concerns of users, stirred widespread criticism as a violation of the privacy of users.
One of the lawmakers who received the letter, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted a tweet with harsh criticism of the company.
"There is no opting out. No control over your personal information. That's Big Tech. And that's why Congress needs to take action," Hawley wrote.
Facebook said that even without the tracking location data, it is still able to put together various bits of information to find out where a user is.
The company defended its actions, insisting that knowing the location of users can have many benefits, including showing them targeted advertisements and fighting hackers and misinformation.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also received the letter from Facebook and said, according to Engineering and Technology, "I am concerned that [Facebook's efforts to be transparent] are insufficient and even misleading in light of how Facebook is actually treating user data ... Facebook claims that users are in control of their own privacy, but in reality, users aren't even given an option to stop Facebook from collecting and monetizing their location information."
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