For a limited time, Facebook is selling 2 of these for $148.
https://slickdeals.net/f/13855961-2-facebook-portal-mini-for-148
Why on earth would anybody buy one of these?
“Active Facebook account required for product use” is the deal breaker. I refuse to use Facebook until they change their policies. Facebook demands you provide ID nowadays…hypocritically Mark Zuckerberg believes everyone should be able to vote without providing any ID. Apparently it is more important that Facebook verifies who you are than the security of our national elections 
A review.
I just skimmed the article, but it seemed to me to be a review of Facebook itself, not the device.
Facebook claiming “privacy.” LOL
Data mining anyone?
I kicked FB to the curb sometime ago exactly for the reasons you stated. I did a pwd reset on the site and was then forced to upload my ID or birth certificate, passport etc…
I literally told them to F-off and will never use that site again.
Facebook is an evil, awful company, and I can’t imagine buying an actual product they make. Facebook should only be used by your boring aunt to tell their nieces about how evil vaccines are. So glad I deleted mine a couple years ago.
Facebook portal: you’ll wish you were baked
I found a new Portal on fb marketplace from a seller who had received it as a gift, but had no need for it. I bought it for $50, hoping it was “new” as she said. (It was, we love it!!) Gave it to my elderly mom who told me she wished she had a smart phone but unfortunately we know Mom is past the stage in her life where she would actually use - or remember how to use- a smart phone. The Portal sits beside her recliner, always on, displays a slide show of family portraits, is one touch button and vocal command- EASY to call her three daughters, whose fb profile pics are displayed on the home screen. – Basically it is a Video Phone with a really cool camera that follows you around the room due to some cool magic. When any of us are at Mom’s, we can call the others and no one at Mom’s has to hold a phone or move the phone around- the portal grabs the whole scene and Mom just sits in her chair and enjoys video chatting with us. We can ring in to her Portal from our laptops and our smartphones - and it rings LOUDLY- and she can see immediately who is calling (no accidentally answering a phone to get stuck talking to spammy sales callers). One touch from Mom to answer, and we are clear and crisp, video connected. We can see her and a good portion of the room, which is important with elderly- we immediately see that everything in her immediate surroundings is fine (or not). – We LOVE the portal-- It also has other functions, but Mom really doesn’t use them- just as she wouldn’t use a smartphone-- lol… We love staying connected easily with Mom, and it really does feel like you’re right there with her. These are great videophones. (yes, you need facebook accounts to use this. if you don’t like fb, this is not the droid you’re looking for)
Nice review of the device itself. Thank you!
Yes, this device data mines - just like the similar devices by Amazon, Google and others. Frankly, if you’re really that concerned about “muh privacy”, you probably shouldn’t be online at all.
Hell, Amazon mines data more aggressively than any of them. But none of the tinhatters here give two shits about that.