Facebook[1] has decided not to unveil new home products at its major developer conference in May, in part because the public is currently so outraged about the social network's data-privacy practices[2], according to people familiar with the matter.
The company's new hardware products, connected speakers with digital-assistant and video-chat capabilities, are undergoing a deeper review to ensure that they make the right trade-offs regarding user data, the people said. While the hardware wasn't expected to be available until the fall, the company had hoped to preview the devices at the largest annual gathering of Facebook developers, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing internal plans.
Facebook Developing Amazon Echo Show-Style Smart Speaker With 15-Inch Display: Report[3]
The devices are part of Facebook's plan to become more intimately involved with users' everyday social lives, using artificial intelligence - following a path forged by Amazon.com[4] and its Echo[5] in-home smart speakers. As concerns escalate about Facebook's collection and use of personal data, now may be the wrong time to ask consumers to trust it with even more information by placing a connected device in their homes. A Facebook spokeswoman declined to comment.
Facebook has faced a public reckoning this month about its treatment of user data, sparked by reports that political-advertising firm Cambridge Analytica[6] obtained information on 50 million users without their permission. The reports spiralled into a crisis for Facebook, which is sending Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg[7] to testify in front of Congress[8] on privacy in the coming weeks.
Facebook Smart Speakers Aloha, Fiona Sport 15-Inch Displays, Will Launch by July: Report[9]
The social-media company had already...