An ex-employee claims that Facebook apps deliberately drain phone batteries.

Facebook was one of our go to apps, like everyone is into it nowadays but as we thought that Facebook was just like a normal app well it is not. According to a former Meta employee who works as a data scientist, Facebook apps deliberately drain iPhone and Android batteries to see how low battery power effects app performance.

According to the report, the aforementioned feature is being used on users' phones without their permission or knowledge. According to the New York Post report:

“Facebook can secretly drain its users’ cellphone batteries, a former employee contends in a lawsuit.

The practice, known as “negative testing,” allows tech companies to “surreptitiously” run down someone’s mobile juice in the name of testing features or issues such as how fast their app runs or how an image might load, according to data scientist George Hayward.

“I said to the manager, ‘This can harm somebody,’ and she said by harming a few we can help the greater masses,” said Hayward, 33, who claims in a Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit that he was fired in November for refusing to participate in negative testing.

According to Hayward's lawyer, Dan Kaiser, most people are unaware that Facebook or other social media companies are capable of intentionally draining a cell phone battery.

The lawsuit, which sought unspecified damages, has since been withdrawn because Hayward is required to go to arbitration, according to the lawyer, who also stated that Hayward stands by the allegations.

“It’s clearly illegal,” Kaiser said of the practice. “It’s enraging that my phone, that the battery can be manipulated by anyone.”

Meta did not return a message.