The Facebook for iOS app appears to be accessing the iPhone or iPad's camera in the background when the app is in use, according to multiple reports on Twitter.

The sliver of brown in this demo photo is the Facebook app accessing the camera behind the timeline.
When scrolling through the Facebook timeline, several users saw the camera activated in the background, as demonstrated in the tweets below.

Found a @facebook #security & #privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet. pic.twitter.com/B8b9oE1nbl

— Joshua Maddux (@JoshuaMaddux) November 10, 2019

Facebook app on iOS 13.2.2 opens my phone’s rear camera when I open a profile photo swipe down to return (look at the little slit on the left of the video). Is this an app bug or an iOS bug?? @facebook @AppleSupport pic.twitter.com/WlhSXZulqx

— Daryl Lasafin (@dzlasafin) November 10, 2019

One Facebook user found it through an interface bug that shows a small sliver of the display when looking at a photo, while another found it when rotating a device.

Both The Next Web and CNET were able to reproduce the issue and confirmed that the camera is activated in the background when using Facebook on iOS. The issue appears to impact iPhones running iOS 13, including the newest release version of ‌iOS 13‌, iOS 13.2.2. Devices running iOS 12 do not appear to be impacted.

Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen this morning said that it "sounds like a bug" and that Facebook is looking into it, but Facebook has not officially commented on the issue.

Thanks for flagging this. This sounds like a bug, we are looking into it.

— Guy Rosen (@guyro) November 12, 2019

Security researcher Will Strafach told TechCrunch that it appears to be a "harmless but creepy looking bug."

For the Facebook app to access the camera in the background, camera and microphone access must be enabled in the Settings app. Those concerned about the bug can disable Facebook's access to these features on the iPhone and the ‌iPad‌, or delete the Facebook app.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 updates to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and two weeks after the release of iOS 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion, and more.

iOS and ‌‌‌iPadOS‌‌‌ 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.


iOS 13.3 introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature that Apple promised would be coming in an iOS 13 update. Communication Limits allow parents to control who their children are able to contact both during downtime and during Screen Time.

Communication Limits include FaceTime, Phone, and Messages, along with iCloud contacts. Calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.

The iOS 13.3 update also appears to address a multitasking issue where iOS 13.2 users were seeing poor RAM management that caused apps like YouTube and Safari to reload more frequently than normal.

After installing iOS 13.3, affected users are now seeing fewer refreshes when accessing these apps, doing another task, and then opening them again.

In the Keyboards section of the Settings app (under General), there's a new toggle that prevents Animoji and Memoji stickers from being displayed as an option on the Emoji Keyboard.

Apple has also tweaked the Apple Watch app icon, changing the color of the Digital Crown from black to gray.

Apple plans to announce its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro this week, according to a tweet from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In another tweet, Gurman suggested the announcement will be made by Wednesday. The news would likely be shared in the form of a press release on the Apple Newsroom and would also likely coincide with early hands-on impressions of the 16-inch MacBook Pro from select media outlets and YouTube channels.

It’s this week - that’s imminent from two weeks ago.

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 12, 2019

Only question remaining from multiple folks: is the announcement tomorrow (briefings day) or Wednesday (when review embargoes lift)? Also, 24 hours for a review seems like so little time, so I’d hope the stories are framed as “previews” or “first looks.”

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 11, 2019

9to5Mac recently reported that Apple appears to be holding private press briefings of some kind at its luxury loft mansion in New York City this week, likely to facilitate those 16-inch MacBook Pro first impressions. Multiple out-of-town tech reporters have tweeted that they are in or headed to New York City over the last few days.

Rumors suggest the 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature slimmer bezels around the display, a more reliable scissor switch keyboard, a standalone Touch ID sensor, and possibly a much-requested physical Esc key. Pricing is unknown, but would likely be higher than the $2,799 high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro.

For what it's worth, 15-inch MacBook Pro models with AMD Radeon Pro Vega graphics options became available to order on the Wednesday of this week a year ago, along with a (PRODUCT)RED version of the Apple Watch Sport Loop. Apple also launched its annual holiday gift guide on the same day.

After rampant rumors, supply chain clues, and leaked imagery from macOS Catalina, the 16-inch MacBook Pro might be 24 hours or less away.

Apple premiered its limited drama series "Truth Be Told" at The Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles, California, on Monday night.

Octavia Spencer
Set to debut on Apple TV+ next month, the show stars Octavia Spencer in the role of Poppy Parnell, a podcaster who aims to reopen a murder case that she was involved in solving 18 years earlier that put Warren Cave (played by Aaron Paul) behind bars.

Spencer's character is unsure if she made a mistake when she helped put Paul's character (Warren Cave) in prison, and with her podcast, she tries to discover the truth and determine whether Cave was wrongfully convicted.

Based on the novel by Kathleen Barber, "Truth Be Told" is said to offer a unique glimpse into America's obsession with true crime podcasts and challenges its viewers to consider the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage.

Beginning December 6, the first three episodes of "Truth Be Told" will be available to watch on ‌Apple TV‌+ in over 100 countries and regions around the world, with new episodes rolling out weekly, every Friday. You can watch the trailer for the series here.


Left to right: Haneefah Wood, Mekhi Phifer, Ron Cephas Jones, Annabella Sciorra, Elizabeth Perkins, Reese Witherspoon, Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul, Michael Beach.

‌Apple TV‌+ costs $4.99 per month with a family of six able to watch for that price point. Apple is also providing customers who purchase an ‌Apple TV‌, Mac, iPad, or iPhone with a free one-year subscription.

Disney's new streaming service, Disney+, is now available in the United States and can be accessed across a range of supported devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Roku streaming boxes, Amazon Fire TV, and more. You can download the Disney+ app on iOS and tvOS, sign up for the service at $6.99/month or $69.99/year, and then begin watching your favorite Disney shows and movies.


At launch, Disney+ already has one of the biggest back catalogs of content among the major streaming services, stretching back over a half century to include classic Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Bambi, and Miracle on 34th Street. Disney+ content ranges from 1937 to 2019, essentially including every film produced under The Walt Disney company umbrella, as well as its subsidiaries including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.

In addition to classic content, Disney is producing new shows, movies, and documentaries for Disney+. Today you can watch new TV shows like The Mandalorian, Encore!, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Original movies include Noelle starring Anna Kendrick and the Lady and the Tramp reboot starring Justin Theroux and Tessa Thompson. There are also behind-the-scenes looks at aspects of the Disney company, including One Day at Disney, which highlights daily routines of cast members at Disney Parks.

Disney+ is launching just a few days after Apple debuted its own streaming TV service, which also uses the "plus" naming style, called ‌Apple TV‌+. On Apple's service you can pay $4.99/month to watch a handful of original TV shows like The Morning Show, For All Mankind, Dickinson, See, Ghostwriter, Helpsters, and Snoopy in Space. Apple plans to add new shows and movies monthly, next up including Servant from producer M. Night Shyamalan and The Banker with Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie.

Disney+ is compatible with the ‌Apple TV‌ app, so all of the TV shows and movies you stream in the Disney+ app will be updated and added to Up Next in the TV app, which also syncs to iOS. For more information on Disney+ and all of the content that you can watch inside of the new service, check out Disney's website and head to the App Store to download the app on iOS today.

Disney+ is also now available in Canada and the Netherlands. The service will launch in Australia and New Zealand on November 19, 2019, followed by the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain on March 31, 2020.

Following a report from The Information this morning summarizing a recent internal Apple meeting that pegged the release of Apple's augmented reality headsets for the 2022–23 timeframe rather than the more aggressive 2020 window that has previously been rumored, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has shared additional information on the company's AR roadmap that will initially focus on the iPad and iPhone before the glasses come to fruition.

"Apple Glasses" concept
Gurman says Apple is working on "a range of augmented and virtual-reality devices" based around a new 3D sensor system, which will arrive first on a new iPad Pro slated for release in the first half of next year, and followed by the 2020 iPhones later in the year.

A new ‌iPad Pro‌ for release as early as the first half of 2020 will feature a new module with two camera sensors, up from one on the current model, and a small hole for the 3-D system, letting people create three-dimensional reconstructions of rooms, objects and people. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant also plans to add the sensor to new high-end iPhones later in 2020, along with 5G networking capabilities, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing unannounced products.

Moving beyond existing devices, Apple is said to be targeting 2021 or 2022 for the release of a combination VR and AR headset focused on "gaming, watching video and virtual meetings." A lighter weight set of AR glasses could follow as soon as 2023.

The 3D sensor system to be used in the upcoming is said to be a more advanced version of the current Face ID sensor, and Apple's engineering teams are working on creating linkages to the new "rOS" operating system for these headsets that will let them work with existing iOS devices.

For more on Apple's AR/VR project, check out the full report over at bloomberg.com.

Apple's widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro is likely still coming based on recent supply chain checks by IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani and Forbes contributor Brooke Crothers, but release timing remains unclear. Crothers is a former contributor to CNET, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal in Asia.

16-inch MacBook Pro concept
"We were expecting an announcement in October," Ubrani said in an email, according to Crothers. October came and went without an announcement, but Ubrani added that his research firm is "starting to see early signs" of the notebook within Apple's supply chain. "However, the timing of this is still uncertain," he said.

Crothers said he has heard similar, writing that "a source in Asia who talks to the Apple supply chain told me over the weekend that the 16-inch [MacBook Pro] is in production but the release date is unclear."

This information lines up with a recent DigiTimes report that claimed Apple will begin receiving volume shipments of the 16-inch MacBook Pro this quarter, possibly to sidestep a 15 percent import tariff on notebooks slated to take effect December 15. If accurate, mass production is likely underway.

Rumors suggest the 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature slimmer bezels around the display, a more reliable scissor switch keyboard, a standalone Touch ID sensor, and possibly a much-requested physical Esc key. Pricing is unknown, but would likely be higher than the $2,799 high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro.

While the Apple Watch Series 5 lineup was released less than two months ago, rumors are already looking ahead to next year.


In a research note with investor firm TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that 2020 Apple Watch models will feature faster performance, improved water resistance, and improved wireless transmission for potentially faster Wi-Fi and cellular speeds.

Kuo believes all of these advancements will be made possible by Apple's switch to liquid crystal polymer or LCP material for the flexible circuit boards in next year's Apple Watch models, expected to launch in the second half of the year as usual. Series 5 models and earlier use a material known as polyimide or PI.

Dongshan Precision, Avary Holding, and Flexium Interconnect will be the primary LCP suppliers, according to Kuo.

It would not be surprising if so-called Apple Watch Series 6 models feature a faster Apple-designed S chip, as the only known differences with the S5 chip in Series 5 models compared to the S4 chip in Series 4 models is a built-in compass and a new always-on display driver, so a performance bump will be due next year.

As for water resistance, Apple Watch Series 2 models are already suitable for swimming or showering and can be submerged to a depth of up to 50 meters. With further improvements, perhaps Series 6 models could be certified for some high-velocity water activities such as scuba diving or water skiing.

Previous reports have suggested that 2020 Apple Watch models may also feature sleep tracking and MicroLED displays.

Today is Veterans Day in the United States and, as usual, Apple CEO Tim Cook has thanked veterans around the world for their service.

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few." — Winston Churchill. To the Veterans in my family, at Apple, and all around the world — we appreciate your service and sacrifice. 🇺🇸 #VeteransDay

— ‌Tim Cook‌ (@tim_cook) November 11, 2019

Apple is also showing its support for Veterans Day with a short message on its website: "Here's to the brave ones. We're proud to honor America's veterans and service members this Veterans Day and every day."


As noted by Kyle Seth Gray, Apple Watch users can earn a special Veterans Day badge in the Activity app today by completing any workout for 11 minutes or longer. The annual Activity Challenge, limited to the United States, also awards users with a Veterans Day sticker for use in the Messages app.

This Veterans Day, November 11th, earn a special award by doing any workout of 11 minutes or more. #CloseYourRings pic.twitter.com/liyLfyGOxf

— Kyle Seth Gray (@kylesethgray) October 30, 2019

Last, Apple has highlighted how iPhone app Healium AR is helping veterans manage anxiety. The augmented reality app was created by former TV journalist Sarah Hill, who is profiled in the Apple Newsroom story.

November 11 also marks similar Remembrance Day or Armistice Day commemorations in many other countries.

While noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg, and others have claimed that Apple plans to release an augmented reality headset as early as 2020, a new report suggests that the head-mounted device may be a few years away.

Apple currently aims to release an augmented reality headset in 2022, followed by a "sleeker" pair of augmented reality glasses by 2023, according to The Information. The report claims the timeline was shared by Apple executives in an internal presentation to employees at Apple Park in October.

Interestingly, the meeting is said to have been large enough to fill the 1,000-plus seats at Steve Jobs Theater, suggesting that Apple may have a large team working on the project. The report claims the discussions were led by Apple's recently appointed AR/VR head Mike Rockwell, a former Dolby executive.

Google Glasses
The meeting is said to have reflected on some of the headset's planned features, including "3D scanning" and "advanced human detection."

The report claims Apple's headset will resemble Facebook's Oculus Quest virtual reality headset released earlier this year, but with a sleeker design, adding that Apple wants to "make heavy use of fabrics and lightweight materials" to ensure its headset is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

The headset is said to feature a high-resolution display and cameras that will allow users to "read small type" and "see other people standing in front of and behind virtual objects." During the meeting, Apple executives allegedly said the technology will be able to map the surfaces, edges, and dimensions of rooms with greater accuracy than existing devices on the market.

"To illustrate these capabilities, attendees at the October meeting were shown a recording of a demonstration in which a virtual coffee machine was placed on a real kitchen table surrounded by people in a room," the report notes. "The virtual coffee machine obscured people standing behind it in the room."

Apple executives said the company plans to reach out to third-party software developers as early as 2021 to encourage them to build apps for the device, so the headset could end up being previewed earlier than 2022.

The headset, allegedly codenamed N301, appears to be only one of Apple's ongoing AR/VR projects. The other is said to be a pair of AR glasses codenamed N421, with current prototypes said to resemble high-priced sunglasses with "thick frames that house the battery and chips." The final design could change.

Goldman Sachs and Apple have become involved in a controversy over credit decisions for Apple Card, amid complaints that those decisions appear in some cases to have been made in a discriminatory manner on the basis of gender, reports The New York Times.


The firestorm kicked off late last week when Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson indicated on Twitter that his ‌Apple Card‌ credit limit was twenty times that offered to his wife, even though the couple has been married for many years, file joint tax returns, and live in a community property state where all income and assets acquired while married are considered jointly owned.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also weighed in, reporting that his ‌Apple Card‌ credit limit was ten times that offered to his wife, with the Wozniaks in a similar financial situation where all assets are jointly owned.

In response, New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Linda Lacewell has announced that her office will be looking into the situation, and she offered additional information in a Medium post today.

I responded, announcing that the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) would examine whether the algorithm used to make these credit limit decisions violates state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. For the rest of the day, numerous Twitter users responded to David’s initial tweet, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (who indicated his credit limit is ten times higher than that of his wife), describing similar instances where men received higher credit limits than women. Confounding this is the “black box” problem, in which consumers have little visibility into how a decision is made or why they have been rejected.

New York law prohibits discrimination against protected classes of individuals, which means an algorithm, as with any other method of determining creditworthiness, cannot result in disparate treatment for individuals based on age, creed, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or other protected characteristics.

Goldman Sachs today responded to the controversy, maintaining that "factors like gender" are never used in credit decisions and explaining how members of a family could receive very different credit decisions. The statement did not, however, directly address Hansson's situation, which is understandable given financial privacy issues.

With ‌Apple Card‌, your account is individual to you; your credit line is yours and you establish your own direct credit history. Customers do not share a credit line under the account of a family member or another person by getting a supplemental card.

As with any other individual credit card, your application is evaluated independently. We look at an individual's income and an individual's creditworthiness, which includes factors like personal credit scores, how much debt you have, and how that debt has been managed. Based on these factors, it is possible for two family members to receive significantly different credit decisions.

In all cases, we have not and will not make decisions based on factors like gender.

Goldman Sachs also noted that it is "looking to enable" the ability for users to share Apple Cards with other members of their families, although the company did not specify when that might occur.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.