Facebook Home, a new launcher app for select Android devices, puts updates from your Facebook feed right onto the lock screen. The design looks lovely, and other quick access buttons keep Facebook front and center to your mobile digital life. But in trying out the app, I found one big problem.
My colleague Fahmida Rashid has already noted that, like all big changes from Facebook, the new Facebook Home raises basic privacy concerns regarding what the company may be collecting from your smartphone, like contacts, location, and other data. But the insecurity that I found is so obvious, it's kind of hard to believe.
If you add a PIN code lock to your phone, Facebook Home still gives you access to your Facebook account. In other words, if I add a PIN code lock to my phone—meaning no one should be able to do much of anything with my phone unless they know how to unlock it—it does nothing to prevent someone from adding text comments to Facebook, "liking" photos and status updates, and browsing through recent updates.
Here's what I assumed would happened with a PIN code enabled: Facebook Home would preview a few status updates or photos from my feed, but prevent me (or anyone else) from opening the comments attached to the post, writing a comment, or "liking" some activity. But no. All those things are open to anyone holding your phone, even if she or he doesn't know your PIN.
Facebook Home is pre-loaded on the brand-spanking new HTC First Android phone, and will roll out to other select Android devices on April 12. If you typically keep your phone locked with a password, I recommend not installing Facebook Home until new release puts more protections in place when a PIN is enabled. Let's hope by April 12 Facebook does issue an update that patches this hole, as the basic premise of this launcher is indeed a good idea.
For more, see PCMag's Hands On With Facebook Home and How to Get Facebook Home.