Facebook has introduced a new feature called "Link History" in its mobile app. This feature is turned on by default and lets Facebook keep a record of all the links you click. The feature can also be turned off in a few simple steps.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 3, 2024 16:29 IST
Meta-owned Facebook has often made headlines for tracking users' data in order to suggest better ads. The company has, on more than one occasion, been accused of invading users' privacy by using their data without their consent. And now, Facebook has introduced a new feature called "Link History" in its mobile app. This feature lets you opt out of sharing your browsing activity record with the company. The feature was announced by the social media platform in a blog post.
By default, the feature is activated on your devices, which means that Facebook keeps a record of all the links you click. This information is used for personalized ads. However, users can now choose to opt-out from this service. Facebook, on the other hand, claims that this is a handy tool to save your browsing activity in one place, ensuring you never lose a link. If you allow Link History by letting is stay enabled by default, Facebook may use your data to improve ads across its platforms.
Facebook tracks all links you visit
The blog post by Facebook explains that Link History is a compilation of websites visited on the Facebook Mobile Browser within the last 30 days. Users have the option to activate or deactivate Link History at any time. When Link History is activated, the links accessed within Facebook's Mobile Browser are stored for 30 days, excluding links from Messenger chats\\\\\\\\\\\\ that with Link History turned on, information from Facebook's Mobile Browser may be utilized to enhance advertisements across Meta technologies, as detailed in the Privacy Policy.
Meanwhile, if you turn off the setting, Facebook promises to delete your Link History within 90 days. It is to be noted that the feature is not available everywhere yet and will be rolled out globally over time.
How to turn Link History off
To turn the Link History off, users can follow these simple steps:
- Open Facebook's Mobile Browser by tapping any link within the Facebook app.
- Click on more actions in the bottom right
- Now, select Browser settings.
- To disable Link History, switch on the option next to Allow link history and confirm by tapping Don't allow.
Remember that disabling Link History will immediately erase your history, and previously visited links won't be accessible. Furthermore, the link history won't be saved or used for ad improvement across Meta technologies.
To reiterate, the deletion process for Link History, when turned off, may take up to 90 days, and users can find more information in the Privacy Policy. Additional details about Browser settings are available for users to explore.
While this seems like a step towards privacy improvement, it also raises questions. Facebook has been tracking link clicks for years, and this is the first time users have visibility and control over this aspect of data collection.
Published By:
Divyanshi Sharma
Published On:
Jan 3, 2024
English (US) ·