Facebook found itself stuck in dire straits after a recent case uncovering the data misuse by a UK-based data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica. The firm has been marred by the allegations that it stole the data of over 50 million Facebook users to manipulate the US Presidential Elections held in 2016 – helping Donald Trump become the President of the US. This has caused an uproar on social media, thereby rekindling the existing idea of a majority of users who favour curbing the use of Facebook and its applications. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton too joined in to call for deleting Facebook.
In such a situation, there are many people who feel deceived to have shared almost everything about their life on Facebook that might have gone into wrong hands. While many Facebook users find it safer to snub the social media platform and switch to some other website, there are a few who don’t want to delete or deactivate their Facebook profiles in favour of associated logins on multiple platforms including Instagram. Boycotting Facebook by either deleting the profile or deactivating would not only deprive you of the access that you use on other apps and games but also of the regular updates from your friends and family.
Well, what if we tell you that there’s a way around that won’t require you to deactivate or delete your Facebook profile while barring your private data from advertisers and third parties. Though this method would ensure the safety of your sensitive data with some steps to remove them, it won’t really stop Facebook from accessing it. In order to do this, you will have to stop Facebook apps from storing your data. Now, these apps can be games, photo doctoring apps, and other engaging websites that require the Facebook login. The steps will help you remove your precious data from Facebook servers so that they cannot be misused.
Remove third-party login access from Facebook
Usually, people tend to log into multiple apps and websites using their Facebook credentials that saves them from the hassle of entering an email address and password. The moment you sign into these websites or apps, you unknowingly grant them access to use your details such as your selfies or other photos that you normally flaunt on Facebook. However, if you want to ensure your data safety, you will have to give up falling for the ease provided by Facebook login on other platforms.
But, how will you disable the Facebook login on third-party apps and sites? In order to do this, you will have to visit the Facebook Settings page, followed by a click on Apps in the left tab. Now click on Apps, Website, and Plug-ins option, then the Edit button, and lastly the Disable Platform button. This will revoke the access to all the sites and apps that are currently using your Facebook login details.
Now, the same Settings page has one more option called App Settings. It essentially shows you all the websites and apps that are connected to your Facebook profile. To remove them, click on the cross ‘X’ sign on the top right corner of these app boxes individually. You can choose the ones that you want to remove or keep for future.
Making Facebook data safe from access to apps, websites
You can also control the data used by other websites and apps – that is essentially something that is automatically shared with them on giving them access to your Facebook profile. The websites and apps use your information such as your name, date of birth, Facebook bio, timeline posts, photos, work, activities, location, and relationship status among others.
To check the information that is being used by the other apps and websites, you will need to click on Apps others use option in the same Settings > Apps page. Here, you will find all the data that Facebook offers to the apps and websites. You can unmark the boxes of the information criterion that you no longer want to share. However, ideally, if you want all your information safe, deselect all the fields. Now, save the new settings, and you will instantly stop information sharing.
Weed out ads and their settings
Facebook advertisements have often been termed intrusive to an extent that if you are just casually checking a product on Amazon or Flipkart, your Facebook timeline entices you to believe that it’s the best thing that you must buy on that day. This is, of course, creepy and simultaneously using your profile information along with your Internet visits.
To disable the settings, head to the Ads tab in the same Settings page again. Now, select the Off option from the drop-down list under Show online interest-based ads option. This will stop Facebook from snooping on your Internet history. The same page also has a Your information tab that shows all your information fields such as education, location, work, relationship status, etc. Disable the radio button to block the access to your information.
Moreover, the aforementioned steps are applicable on your Facebook information and posts that you have shared in the past or are likely to share in future, which brings us to the fact that the less you share, the less Facebook will share. Facebook users are advised to keep their activities low-key if they are really concerned about their data.
