I just received a warning from a friend of mine, and quickly checked it out. I knew from before that Facebook is storing lots of information about me, but that they actually have something called "Off Facebook Activity" is quite interesting.
If you want to check it yourself, go to your Settings, choose Your Facebook Information, and then go for the Off Facebook Activity.
What kind of data is the "off Facebook activity?"
Lots of websites share information with Facebook. Not only by adding Facebook like buttons and more, but as they run apps on their websites which shares data with Facebook and more. So, when I surf AliExpress looking for cool products, not only do I find cool products, but AliExpress also shares information about my whereabouts with Facebook. As a result, I will see an AliExpress logo on Facebook when I go to my Off Facebook Activity page.
Not only do I see the AliExpress logo. I can also see logos of different cryptocurrency exchanges I have been active on and so much more.
What is this all about?
Facebook is storing information about you. Not only do they get to know you better by your activities on Facebook. But, they store information about which websites you visit, and thus, your interests. Not only through a like button present, but also based on the actual activities you do on a website.
Information is money, and even though Facebook is free, you are paying a lot. Facebook is getting rich by storing information about you, and then, selling it to the advertisers.
Can I delete my Off Facebook data?
Yes, you can. Not only can you delete your history, you can also tell Facebook not to store future information about you. Check the image below to see how and where.
I hope this article will help you discover even more about Facebook and the face of the platform. I don't blame them for taking advantage of this, after all, it is what the platform is all about. But, it is up to all of us to decide whether we really want to give all that information about ourselves to Zuckerberg and the Facebook empire.
What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts about it!