The portal, the talking speaker of Facebook, is not a spy device, it is a message that, according to the social network, was lost in the cover that preceded the launch of the device.

Portal will be on store shelves on Thursday.

The recent problems of foreign interference and hacking of Facebook (about 30 million accounts were robbed in the fall) and problems with a dishonest application developer who takes personal information from users of Facebook and sell them to third parties have resulted in many digs on Facebook have said that it would take at least a year, if not more, to address these issues.

Facebook portal video device (Photo: Facebook)

"The timing of the launch is a challenge, in terms of brand and trust, and we are committed to improving it," said Facebook vice president Andrew Bosworth. "But it's the product you want, it's only meant to put you in touch with the people you care about, it's dedicated to your proximity."

The $ 199 portal, which looks roughly like an Amazon Echo speaker but with a 10-inch video screen, rivals the recently released Google Home Hub ($ 149, 7-inch screen) and the redesigned Amazon Echo Show ( $ 229), which also offers an inch screen.

A larger edition, Portal +, with a 15-inch screen, is selling for $ 349. The units will be available on Amazon, on Facebook Store portal and Best Buy retail and online. The portal was originally scheduled to be delivered on November 15, according to the Facebook site.

Unlike other devices, even if you can use Portal for anecdotes and get answers to questions, the main goal is to use tools to make video calls. Portal has an integrated camera that can follow you in the room, allowing you to move freely and to adapt more family members to the video chat. It uses the Facebook Messenger platform, which has more than one billion members. Here's where the controversy comes in.

Facebook acknowledges freely that it follows the frequency and duration of calls and that "some of this information may be used for advertising purposes, for example, we may use the fact that you make many video calls to inform some of ads you see. "

In addition, Facebook recognizes that it monitors the frequency with which you have logged in to your account and your frequency of use of the portal, and that "can be used to inform the ads you see on Facebook".

Facebook insists that users will not see ads on Portal's display, but if you're listening to music from Pandora, iHeartRadio, or Spotify partners, you might see ads from these companies.

When asked why Facebook needed this information, Mr. Bosworth replied that it was primarily to improve the network. "Understanding how many calls are long or frequent helps us improve service." As for the advertising element, says Boswell, Facebook could target you as a frequent video caller and thus broadcast ads targeting video services on other Facebook platforms.

Facebook, like Amazon and Google, logs each request addressed to the speaker (to know how to answer correctly) and records the audio requests. Bosworth says that users will be able to find them in Facebook settings and remove audio copies, if necessary.

Bosworth says this unit is a "game changer" that helps people feel closer to families by making better group video calls. How does this differ from Apple FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype or any other video chat tool?

Bosworth asks you not to have to hold a phone or computer in your hand. "It's surprising to see the power that people have when they pass their hands free," he says. "It's a different experience."

Follow Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) from the United States on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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