A new Facebook eye tracking tool could soon be introduced

It has been rumoured that a new Facebook eye tracking tool is in the works, so if you thought Facebook was being invasive and creepy earlier, this news might be distressing for you.

The company is exploring possibilities in the particular area per the documents and written answers submitted by Facebook to the US Congress and was first spotted by CNBC. The Facebook eye tracking tool could be made into a possibility through two patents held by the social media behemoth.

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Facebook explains that the patents were a way to maintain security and ‘reduce consumer friction’, saying, "Right now we're not building technology to identify people with eye-tracking cameras." CNBC reports.

While Facebook claims they are not building the eye tracking tool, the company adds that if they do so in the future, user privacy would be paramount to them.

Of course, beyond the applications mentioned, the Facebook eye tracking software, secure or not, could freak some users out who already oppose the social media giant’s collection of data about their users.

Although unsure about how sophisticated the new patents held by Facebook are, but IF it ‘could’ track eye movements such as pupil dilation, Facebook would certainly employ the data for their advertising interests which already includes tracking the hovering of your mouse, and the battery life of your smartphone.