Back at the start of 2020, Meta Platforms, Inc. (then known as Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the global implementation of the “Off-Facebook Activity” tool. The goal was to give users the ability to manage how the company’s social media platform tracked Internet viewing history.
With much in the news lately about how Facebook uses and shares your data as well as giving third-party apps access to your browsing history, the tool seems more timely — and useful — than ever.
Tech news site CNET recently detailed how you can best make use of Off-Facebook.
If you haven’t been aware of the tool, keep in mind it switches off Facebook’s default setting of sharing your account data. You can also take it upon yourself to specifically select individual companies that you don’t want to have access to your data and send you intrusive targeted ads.
CNET’s Katie Teague outlines that, first, you have to go to “Settings & Privacy” on Facebook, then go to “Settings,” select “Your Facebook Information,” and then choose “Off-Facebook Activity.” Once you’re in Off-Facebook Activity, you can clear your history. Additionally, you can switch off future data-sharing activity from your account.
Teague explains this means you are instructing Facebook to wipe away identifying information that apps are sharing. Essentially, now the social media company will no longer be privy to what sites you are visiting, preventing you from receiving targeted advertisements in your Facebook Newsfeed.
Separately, Teague pinpoints how you can also manage specific ads you encounter on the platform. It’s as simple as going to your “Settings” and then selecting “Ad Preferences.”
Once you’re in your ad preferences, you can see a full rundown of the various companies that are running ads on your feed based on your identifying Facebook information and data through “Advertisers and Businesses.” You can select unwanted companies and choose “Don’t Allow.”
She also recommends you head to “Ad Settings” in order to switch off advertisements that are derived from data from the site’s partners as well as your activity carried out through your social actions and use of other Facebook products. Keep in mind this doesn’t delete the data itself and you’ll still see other ads appearing on your feed. Teague says the Off-Facebook tool is still the most definitive way for enshrining your data and personal information from being co-opted and used for ads.
In summary, whether using Facebook — or any other social media platform — you should scrutinize how your data is being shared and look closely at settings you can enable to prevent that information from being used by third parties. Given how ubiquitous social media is right now, it’s crucial you do everything you can to protect your sensitive and personally identifying data.