The repercussions of the Cambridge Analytica scandal for Facebook continue.
The social media giant has reportedly decided to delay the unveiling of its new smart home products.
Originally due to be shown at a developer conference in May, the products, connected speakers with digital assistant and video chat capabilities, will be undergoing additional review, reports Bloomberg. With sustained outrage over Cambridge Analytica’s mining of Facebook user data, Facebook reportedly wants to “ensure that they make the right trade-offs regarding user data.”
The products, intended to compete with Google Home and Amazon Echo, will reportedly be capable of face recognition, and will include a large touchscreen, a camera, and speakers. Earlier focus-group testing had already demonstrated user concern with having Facebook-branded devices in their homes, according to Bloomberg, due to the large amount of personal data the company already collects on its users.
Despite data concerns, Facebook plans to stay on track with its initial plan to officially launch the products later this year.