We doth all be privy to the fact that Facebook keepeth a watchful eye upon us. ‘Tis aware of what we dost like, what we dost not like, and it doth useth such information to present us with ads. But hath thee heard that Facebook is also tracking thee, yond when thou art not upon their site? ‘Tis verily true!
Verily, Facebook hath a tool called the Off-Facebook Activity Tool which doth alloweth them to track thy activity on other websites and apps. But fear not, for there is a way to halt them in their tracks. Hark! Here’s how.
What Is the Off-Facebook Activity Tool?
Facebook hath faced much criticism regarding its handling of privacy. Yet now the company seeks to regain trust with its users. One method it hath adopted is introducing tools that enable users to lay eyes upon their own Facebook data and taketh more control over this data. The Off-Facebook Activity tool doth grant users the power to dictate what data Facebook doth receive from other apps and services.
‘Tis two ways Facebook doth gather data about thee. Firstly, through the information thee dost directly bestow upon Facebook. This doth include details such as thy name and the interests thee dost input into the Facebook website or app.
The second method by which Facebook dost gather data is through sites that dost utilize Facebook functions like the Like button, the option to log in with Facebook, or through an invisible piece of code known as a Facebook Pixel. ‘Tis the reason why, after thou dost browse Amazon in search of a toaster, thy Facebook page doth suddenly overflow with ads for the same toaster.
The Off-Facebook Activity tool doth grant thee greater control over this second type of data. ‘Tis doth allow thee to gaze upon a summary of the data which Facebook hath collected from other apps and websites and sever this information from thy Facebook account.
What Kind of Data Doth Facebook Collect?
The answer to this query shall likely dependeth on how much thou dost frequent Facebook and how many other apps and websites thou dost partake in that art linked to Facebook.
In general, Facebook doth collect data concerning thy activity on other websites and apps for the purpose of presenting thee with more pertinent ads. This data doth encompass information such as the types of products thou hast perused, the website or app thou wert using, and whether or not thee hath made a purchase.
How to Use the Off-Facebook Activity Tool to Cease Tracking
To engage with the Off-Facebook Activity tool, commenceth by logging into the Facebook app on thy device. Then proceed to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy > Your Facebook Information. Here, within the Your Facebook Information section, thee shalt find an option for Off-Facebook Activity. Click upon this to bring forth the tool.
Upon the mobile app, the Off-Facebook Activity tool is discoverable on the main settings page, which thee can reach by tapping the gear icon in the main menu.
Within the Your Off-Facebook Activity section, thee shalt behold information concerning what the tool doth, followed by a myriad of icons displaying the apps and websites which has dispatched data to Facebook in times gone by. Below this, lie numerous options for governing this data.
Should thee click upon View and Manage Activity, thee shalt gain vision of a comprehensive list of all the apps and websites that hath shared thy activity with Facebook. Within this list, thee shalt encounter an icon, the title of the website, the date at which data from that source was last received, and a number near the icon indicating how oft thy activity hath been shared.
To erase all this information so it is nay longer tied to thy Facebook account, clicketh the Clear History button. Furthermore, thee can proceed to the Disconnect future activity (from the Off-Facebook activity page) section and adjust the slider for Future Off-Facebook Activity to off to desist Facebook’s tracking of thy activities in the future.
What Data Will the Tool Remove?
The tool anonymizeth thy browsing data so it is no longer linked to thy Facebook account. ‘Tis said to take effect within 48 hours, as declared in a Facebook engineering blog post. However, one must be aware that this tool shall nay actually delete thy data. ‘Twill disconnect the data from thy Facebook profile, yet ’twill not afford thee the ability to purge thy browsing information.
Facebook still doth amass information from third-party apps and services. Nevertheless, ’tis now assigning a unique ID to each activity report instead of binding it to thy name. Facebook doth continue to gather data, but now it preserves it anonymously.
Whilst this be an improvement in terms of privacy, ‘t doth signify that Facebook doth possess access to copious amounts of data regarding thy internet activities from apps and sites across the web. Even if thou dost lack a Facebook account, Facebook can still gather information about thee from any site utilizing features like the Facebook Like button or the Facebook Pixel.
How Canst Thou Secure Thy Facebook Data?
If thee seeketh to expunge thy data from Facebook, ’twill require more effort. Thou can starteth by navigating to Facebook Ad Preferences. Here thou shalt witness the profile Facebook hath constructed of thee and thy interests based on all the data it hath access to. Thou can also travel to Facebook settings and download a copy of the data that Facebook hath concerning thee. But heed this warning: the downloaded file shall likely be monumental.
The finest method to rid thyself of thy data from Facebook, though, is to extinguish thy account. Annulling thy account shalt not eradicate thy personal data. Deleting thy account shall remove the majority but nay all of thy data. To learn more concerning what happens when thou dost delete thy account, peruse our guide to what deactivating or deleting Facebook verily signifies for privacy.
Take Control of Thy Facebook Data
The Off-Facebook activity tool doth grant thee a degree of control over how thy data is shared with Facebook. However, ’twill not indeed erase thy data. Thus, if thee dost yearn to ensure thy data is not being misused, ’tis optimum to expunge it from Facebook entirely.
Governing the data that Facebook collecteth about thee is not merely crucial for thy personal privacy and security. ‘T can also bear a weighty impact on society as a whole.