On Monday, Facebook announced a new privacy feature called “Off-Facebook Activity.” It will give users a list of the other websites and apps where Facebook has tracked them. But the feature has been criticized for offering less privacy than it seems to provide.
In settings, users can choose not to allow Facebook to associate their specific browsing history for advertising in the future. But Facebook can still collect and use the information. It takes 48 hours for the change in Facebook settings to become active after a user enables it.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga says the feature “doesn’t really sever the relationship between advertiser or websites and Facebook, it just keeps you apart from it. They’re still going to collect that data.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– What kinds of Internet activity Facebook tracks and who has access to this data
– How well does this new feature protect users from unwanted data collection
– Why users have reason to be skeptical of the feature and Facebook’s promises to protect privacy
Written by Laura Morales.
