It may seem like Facebook knows everything about its users— but, according to a patent Facebook filed for in 2017 that was made public this week, the social media giant might have plans to collect even more data.
The patent would let the company analyze members of a household through information uploaded to the site and Instagram—everything from past posts, status updates, friendships, messaging history, past tagging history, web browsing history, relationships, and photos (either uploaded by the user or ones they are tagged in).
The move could defensively prevent others from utilizing the technology, allowing Facebook to maintain its edge as an advertising platform. The ability to determine who someone lives with could help better target ads toward users.
Coins2Day reached out to Facebook for a comment, but did not receive an immediate reply.
The social media site did tell the L.A. Times that they would not comment on the matter, but did say that Facebook sometimes applies for patents without the intention of actually utilizing the technology.