Facebook Portal device can follow you around the room with its camera

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Facebook has introduced a pair of camera-equipped devices – the Portal and Portal Plus – in an attempt to gain a physical foothold in people's homes. The smart home devices – which feature Amazon's Alexa voice assistant – are currently only available for pre-order in the United States, with the Portal costing $199 and the Portal Plus costing $349. Similar to smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, the voice assistant on Facebook's Portal devices is always listening in order to capture commands. Facebook had reportedly delayed the launch of the video-calling device as a result of the privacy scandal surrounding revelations that 87 million people had their data harvested for the purpose of political profiling.