Edit: I referred to the Messenger app, but the same applies to the Facebook app. The Messenger app was just the one I looked at first.
Don't have access to a Windows machine and if this is the mentality behind getting apps on the platform, not sure there's any reason to change that.
That was a fantastic time...
WhatsApp seems similar in that regard.
I am not particularly interested in these apps, but I am starting to see a disturbing pattern where parts of the internet are being segregated by operating system and the willingness to install and run software (apps) instead of accessing on-line services with a web browser or via open protocols (e.g., IMAP or XMPP).
* The ability to serve ads without being blocked by a browser based ad-blocker.
* The ability to use its own web view to open web pages and have more tracking of the user's activities.
* Read through all the browser histories and caches that exist on the system to get a good picture of what the user does online.
* Read email files (if not encrypted) on the system to get more information about who the user corresponds with, subjects, etc.
* Read the entire filesystem and probably upload interesting looking file metadata on to their servers for analysis.
* Read what other applications are in use, at what times, for how long they retain focus, etc., building a (somewhat) complete profile of how the user spends time while one of the FB apps is not in focus.
* Get to know all the locations the user uses the computer at and also get more information about the networks (wired or wireless) that the user uses.
* Is a key logger possible with an application on Windows 10???
* Perhaps many more things I've missed...
The above points are slightly similar to what the smartphone apps already have (although the privileges vary across smartphone OSes and versions - not everything applies to all of them).
It would seem strange for anyone who cares about privacy but needs to use Facebook (yes, that sounds like an oxymoron) to use an official app from a privacy breaking company instead of a browser with extensions to thwart tracking and to block ads.
In the interest of all of humankind, I can only hope these apps get neglected by the users, get abandoned and die a quick death!
P.S.: All the points above apply to any program you run on your computer, but these points become more disturbing when it's related to a company like Facebook.
