Facebook launches brand new Portal devices in the UK

Facebook has launched its range of Portal smart home devices, which use AI-powered cameras to make video calls between its users.

The technology giant first announced the Portal device in 2018, claiming it would help users “stay connected to loved ones” in new and "more immersive" ways.

The decision to unveil a camera-equipped listening device for people’s living rooms, just months after one of the biggest data scandals in history, was originally greeted with suspicion by privacy advocates.

Facebook claimed at the time that “no data collected through Portal – even call log data or app usage data, like the fact you listen to Spotify – will be used to target users with ads on Facebook”.

However it was later forced to backtrack on this commitment, with a spokesperson acknowledging that certain data would be gathered, such as the length and frequency of calls.

“We may use this information to inform the ads we show you across our platforms,” the spokesperson said. “Other general usage data, such as aggregate usage of apps, etc., may also feed into the information that we use to serve ads.”

In its latest promotional materials for the devices, Facebook was keen to stress Portal’s privacy credentials, claiming they were “private by design”.

This includes a designated switch to block the camera lens from recording – similar to the system used by CEO Mark Zuckerberg on his personal laptop's webcam.

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The latest launch will see the Portal, Portal TV and Portal Mini devices ship internationally for the first time, including to the UK.

Facebook is also introducing new ways to make calls using WhatsApp, which the tech giant acquired in 2014 for $19.3bn (£15.5bn in 2019).

The £169 Portal and £129 Portal Mini will begin shipping on 15 October, while the £149 Portal TV will start on 5 November.

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