George Hayward, a Data Scientist at Facebook claims that Facebook & Messenger apps can deliberately drain the batteries of both iPhones and Android.
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.
He complained about this to his manager, saying, “this could harm somebody.” However, not only did the manager ignore his concerns, she urged him to carry on, saying that “by harming a few, we can help the greater masses.”
He was fired in November for refusing to participate in negative testing because of the risk posed by draining smartphone batteries including those of policemen, rescue workers, and others when they might potentially need it for things like 911 calls, Crash Detection, and Fall Detection.