Facebook sued for watching Instagram users through phone cameras: Report

Social media giant Facebook has found itself in the middle of yet another controversy as it faces a lawsuit for allegedly keeping an eye on Instagram users via their phone cameras.

An Insta user from New Jersey, Brittany Conditi is the latest person to sue Facebook, according to a Bloomberg report. Her complaint alleges that the company knowingly accesses Instagram users' phone cameras while not in active use, to collect data that it is otherwise not privy to.

The case follows reports in July earlier this year, alleging that Facebook-owned Instagram was able to access cameras in iPhones even when not in use. This was denied by Facebook, which in turn pinned it on a bug in the app that allegedly led to false notifications being received by users.

The video-sharing company's parent Facebook was also caught last year, accessing the camera on the iOS app without the user’s knowledge.

Earlier in July, Facebook reportedly had to shell out $650 million to settle a lawsuit where it had been accused of using facial recognition technology to identify faces in users' photos. While it denied any wrongdoing on its part, it did end up settling in the matter.

The social media company's name can be seen in the news often these days, as it is mired in controversies on several fronts.

In India, the company has been a hot topic for discussion of late after a Wall Street Journal report in August alleging collusion between the social media giant and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stirred up a whole new hornets' nest.