Messenger Security & Privacy Scorecard

What This Means for You

Messages and activity are tied to Meta's advertising ecosystem, meaning user interactions can influence the ads shown across Facebook and Instagram. Data about how the app is used is collected and linked to user identity.

Recommendation: Use With Caution

Best For: Staying in touch with friends and family
Avoid If: You prefer keeping your activity off Meta's ad platform

Key Findings

Data Security - 0 findings

Network Security - 1 finding (1 high)

Code Safety - 0 findings

Privacy - 1 finding (1 high)

Privacy Concerns

What Data is Collected

Usage patterns, messaging activity, and behavioral data are collected and linked to user identity. This includes how frequently the app is used, who the user contacts, and how they interact with content.

Third-Party Data Sharing

No third-party advertising or analytics services were observed in the app.

Understanding the Scores

• Security: 95/100
• Privacy: 80/100
• Data Security: 100/100
• Network Security: 82/100
• Code Safety: 100/100
• Data Collection: 78/100
• Data Sharing: 100/100
• User Control: 80/100

Positive Security Features

• No specific positive security practices were observed for this version.

Areas for Improvement

• Network communications have room for additional hardening to better protect user data as it travels between the device and Meta's servers.
• The scope of data collection tied to user identity is broad, limiting the ability to use the app without contributing to behavioral profiling across Meta's platforms.
• Controls over what data is gathered could be more clearly surfaced within the app so users can make more informed choices about their privacy.

About This Analysis

App Details

• App: com.facebook.Messenger
• Package: com.facebook.Messenger
• Version: 554.0.0 (Build 917678550)
• Scan Date: 2026-03-27