Since the split from the main app in early 2014, Facebook has begun forcing users to use Messenger.

Facebook Messenger allows users to send texts, pictures and videos to online contacts through the Messenger app rather than the traditional text messaging system.

According to Facebook, Android granted access to the leading social networking site to the archives of an individual’s phone.  Facebook could then read, receive and send messages through a user’s phone.

Facebook will also have the ability to adjust and remove files from storage; record audio, video and pictures; download files without permission and even change a network’s connectivity.

This has sparked worldwide unrest among concerned members seeking privacy.

Although the main Facebook app has not lost complete popularity, as of September 2014, the Facebook Messenger app was averaging a one-star rating with negative user reviews.

One review read: “Why is Facebook insisting on this messenger?  What’s the point of it accessing all of our personal archives… We have our right to privacy! Facebook has gone too far. Uninstalling immediately!”

One reviewer commented, “I don’t totally hate Messenger, I just pray that what is being said about the privacy is over exaggerated.”

Another user said, “Of course, Messenger needs access to your gallery… how else would it allow you to send pictures through the app without access?!”

Facebook argues that with information gained from the archives of a user’s phone, it can be used to tailor to the needs of the user.  When Facebook recognizes a user’s interests, the app will allow similar advertisements and common interest for the users.

Some of this Facebook Messenger backlash comes from America’s response to the National Security Agency (NSA) abusing its power to spy on Americans starting in June 2013.

“Messenger appears to have more spyware type code in it than I’ve seen in products intended specifically for enterprise surveillance,” said iOS forensics and security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski.

Peter Kay is a serial tech entrepreneur.

“I think that people have overreacted to it. If people think that the Facebook Messenger thing is a security breach, then they need to turn off Facebook because the same things that they have already agreed to allow on their Facebook profile is what Facebook Messenger is accessing.

“In other words, they’re not doing anything more that what you’ve actually already agreed to as a Facebook user.  [Privacy] is an issue in that people should be worried about, but it’s nothing to do with Facebook specifically.  We generally should be concerned about our privacy and we should be generally be concerned about what things we share with others.

“We should be concerned about what information we make public, but that applies to Twitter, Instagram, blogs and all kinds of other social media.  In other words, Facebook is not sort of upping the ante, they’re not increasing the amount of data that they’re making available, they’re not infringing on it.

“What’s really happening with this whole thing is the [miscommunication of] wording of the [terms and conditions.]  It’s not, ‘Oh my God, Facebook was, like, really cool, and now they’re terrible because they’re forcing us to provide all this data that we’ve never had to provide before. You’re already giving all this data.’”