Facebook bought a technology reading business and people are not happy

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REPORT - In this photo of April 11, 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pauses before testifying in front of a House Energy and Commerce audience at Capitol Hill, Washington, on the use of data from Facebook to target US voters in the 2016 election and data privacy. Zuckerberg said Facebook would begin to focus on new email services protecting privacy, a change apparently intended to alleviate criticisms of the company's data processing and potential antitrust actions. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik, File) Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.Associated press

Facebook has just bought a company that manufactures thought reading technologies.

The company, CTRL-Labs, makes a wristband that is supposed to decode the electrical signals of your brain. By wearing the bracelet, the company says you can control a computer using your thoughts.

"You have neurons in the spinal cord that send electrical signals to the muscles in your hand, asking them to move in a specific way, for example by clicking on a mouse or pressing a button," said the vice president. from Facebook, Andrew Bosworth, in the announcement of the acquisition. "The bracelet will decode these signals and translate them into a digital signal that your device can understand, allowing you to control your digital life."

Read more: It is said that Facebook spends more than $ 500 million to buy a business that allows you to control computers with your mind

Facebook is not part of the consumer electronics industry (with the exception of its Smart Portal Camera). Facebook is primarily active in the advertising business and uses the data provided by its users to strengthen its business. As such, the device described above is received as an additional means for Facebook to collect user data.

Worse: this time, data collection arrives directly from your brain.

Charles Xavier (Cerebro)Charles Xavier of the X-Men.Disney

"I mean honestly who do you think you are," a Twitter user told Bosworth. "Do not you already have enough of our data? Holy s — it's disgusting."

This reaction was representative of most reactions to Bosworth's tweet.

"Why would anyone want to give a business the economic model of FB knowing access to its spinal cord data?" another user responded. "Why is this even an intuitive way to interact with a device? Given yall's privacy concerns, why not intuitively avoid FB products as much as possible?"

A user went straight to the point: "It's scary."

Facebook representatives have not responded to Business Insider's request to comment on the news.

Overall, the reactions largely reflect the public's view of Facebook after years of controversies over data privacy, ranging from more modest gaffes to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which personal data of over 87 million Facebook users were unduly obtained by political data. analysis firm.

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