Facebook paid contractors to transcribe users’ audio: Bloomberg

(Reuters) – Facebook Inc (FB.O) has been paying exterior contractors to transcribe audio clips from customers of its companies, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing individuals accustomed to the matter.

The firm confirmed that it had been transcribing customers’ audio and stated it was now not doing so, Bloomberg reported. (bloom.bg/2KxlnYc)

Facebook didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.

Bloomberg, citing the corporate, reported that the customers who have been affected selected the choice within the Messenger app to have their voice chats transcribed. The contractors have been checking whether or not Facebook’s synthetic intelligence appropriately interpreted the messages.

Shares of Facebook pared beneficial properties after the report and have been up 1.66% at $188.44.

The social media firm has been going through broad criticism from lawmakers and regulators over its privateness practices.

Last week, a federal appeals courtroom rejected Facebook’s effort to undo a category motion lawsuit claiming that it illegally collected and saved biometric information for thousands and thousands of customers with out their consent. The firm additionally agreed to pay a file $5 billion wonderful final month to settle a U.S. Federal Trade Commission information privateness probe.

Earlier this month, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google globally suspended reviewing recordings from customers interacting with their voice assistants, as issues over information privateness mount.