dgenovese5
Feb 2, 20212 min
It’s no secret that Facebook is tracking your activity online. Have you ever searched a specific item to purchase, and then those advertisements magically appeared on your Facebook timeline? Sometimes, it feels like we THINK about purchasing something, and Facebook knows about it. It’s not a coincidence. It’s a feature called, “Off-Facebook Activity,” and you can turn it off!
But first, if you want to see what “Off-Facebook Activity” Facebook has been storing about you, here’s how:
While in your Facebook app on your phone, go to your “Settings and Privacy,” then select “Settings.”
Scroll to “Your Facebook Information,” then select “Off-Facebook Activity.”
From here, you can click “Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity” for further information, and you will be prompted to re-enter your password.
To turn it off:
While in your Facebook app on your phone, go to your “Settings and Privacy,” then select “Settings.”
Scroll to “Your Facebook Information,” then select “Off-Facebook Activity.”
To turn it off, select “More Options” and “Manage Future Activity.”
You will then have to select another prompt for “Manage Future Activity.”
From here, you have the option to tap the switch to off next to “Future Off-Facebook Activity.”
To clear the existing history Facebook has stored, go back to the “off-Facebook Activity” screen and select “Clear History.”
Curious why this feature even exists? According to Facebook and an article on KSAT.com:
“For starters, your online activities generate data. So when you’re searching for vacation spots or shopping on a website on your phone, sometimes these businesses that you’re looking at will share that data with Facebook.
That data is then used by Facebook to target certain ads just for you and helps find you better deals on the same products or services you were looking for, according to Facebook’s website.
In other words, the Off-Facebook activity is a ‘summary of activity that businesses and organizations share with us about your interactions, such as visiting their apps or websites,’ Facebook said in a statement.
Now with this feature turned off, this just means your ads won’t be personalized or geared toward your off-app activity.”