Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
New Tool Will Stop Ads from Following You on Facebook
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
August 20, 2019

Share

SAN FRANCISCO — Soon, you could get fewer familiar ads following you around the internet — or at least on Facebook.

Facebook is launching a long-promised tool that lets you block the social network from gathering information about you on outside websites and apps.
Facebook is launching a long-promised tool that lets you block the social network from gathering information about you on outside websites and apps.
The company said Tuesday that it is adding a section where you can see the activity that Facebook tracks outside its service via its “like” buttons and other means. You can choose to turn off the tracking; otherwise, tracking will continue the same way it has been.
Formerly known as “clear history,” the tool will now go by the somewhat awkward name “off-Facebook activity.” The feature will be available in South Korea, Ireland and Spain on Tuesday, consistent with Facebook’s tendency to launch features in smaller markets first. The company did not give a timeline for when it might expand it to the U.S. and other countries, only that it will be in “coming months.”

Facebook Faces Increasing Governmental Scrutiny

Blocking the tracking, which is on by default, could mean fewer ads that seem familiar — for example, for a pair of shoes you decided not to buy, or a nonprofit you donated money to. It won’t change the actual number of ads you’ll see on Facebook.
Facebook faces increasing governmental scrutiny over its privacy practices, including a record $5 billion fine from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for mishandling user data. Boosting its privacy protections could help the company pre-empt regulation and further punishment. But it’s a delicate dance, as Facebook still depends on highly targeted advertising for nearly all of its revenue.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the “clear history” feature more than a year ago. The company said building it has been a complicated technical process, which is also the reason for the slow, gradual rollout. Facebook said it sought input from users, privacy experts and policymakers along the way, which led to some changes. For instance, users will be able to disconnect their activity from a specific websites or apps, or reconnect to a specific site while keeping other future tracking turned off.

 

The Tool Will Let You Delete Your Past Browsing History

You’ll be able to access the feature by going to your Facebook settings and scrolling down to “your Facebook information.” The “off-Facebook activity” section will be there when it launches.

“We do think this could have an impact on our revenue.” — Stephanie Max, product manager at Facebook
The tool will let you delete your past browsing history from Facebook and prevent it from keeping track of your future clicks, taps and website visits going forward. Doing so means that Facebook won’t use information gleaned from apps and websites to target ads to you on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. It also won’t use such information to show you posts that Facebook thinks you might like based on your offsite activity, such as news articles shared by your friends.
“We do think this could have an impact on our revenue,” said Stephanie Max, product manager at Facebook, adding that this will depend on how people will use the tool. But she added that giving people “transparency and control” is important.
Off-Facebook activity is one of many pieces of information that Facebook uses to target ads to people. The changes won’t affect how your actions on Facebook are used to show you ads. It also won’t change the metrics Facebook sends back to advertisers to tell them how well their ads work.

DON'T MISS

US Regulators Seek to Break Up Google, Forcing Chrome Sale as Part of Monopoly Punishment

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Climbs as Nvidia Swings, Bitcoin Rises and Alphabet Sinks

DON'T MISS

Major Storm Drops Record Rain, Downs Trees in Northern California After Devastation Further North

DON'T MISS

Police Report Reveals Assault Allegations Against Hegseth, Trump’s Pick for Defense Secretary

DON'T MISS

Republicans Target Social Sciences to Curb Ideas They Don’t Like

DON'T MISS

Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Men Arrested in Armed Robbery Near Sanger High, Sanger Academy

DON'T MISS

Newsom Heads to Fresno, a County That Voted for Trump

DON'T MISS

Conservative Professors and Students Are Suing California’s Community Colleges, and Winning

DON'T MISS

How Trump Can Earn a Place in History That He Did Not Expect

UP NEXT

Newsom Heads to Fresno, a County That Voted for Trump

UP NEXT

Conservative Professors and Students Are Suing California’s Community Colleges, and Winning

UP NEXT

Thousands of University of California Workers Go on 2-Day Strike Over Wages, Staff Shortages

UP NEXT

Gavin Newsom Pledged to Release His Tax Returns Every Year. The Last One Was for 2020.

UP NEXT

California Governor Will Not Make Clemency Decision for Menendez Brothers Until New DA Reviews Case

UP NEXT

Fewer Kids Are Going to California Public Schools. Is There a Right Way to Close Campuses?

UP NEXT

California Voters Reject Measure That Would Have Raised Minimum Wage to Nation-High $18 Per Hour

UP NEXT

Bomb Cyclone Kills 1 and Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes Across the Northwest US

UP NEXT

With Democracy Supposedly at Stake, California Voters Stayed Away in Droves

UP NEXT

Volunteers Came Back to Nonprofits in 2023, After the Pandemic Tanked Participation

Police Report Reveals Assault Allegations Against Hegseth, Trump’s Pick for Defense Secretary

29 minutes ago

Republicans Target Social Sciences to Curb Ideas They Don’t Like

35 minutes ago

Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

1 hour ago

Fresno County Men Arrested in Armed Robbery Near Sanger High, Sanger Academy

1 hour ago

Newsom Heads to Fresno, a County That Voted for Trump

1 hour ago

Conservative Professors and Students Are Suing California’s Community Colleges, and Winning

2 hours ago

How Trump Can Earn a Place in History That He Did Not Expect

2 hours ago

Love Seeks Redemption as Packers Prepare for 49ers Rematch

2 hours ago

Suspect Arrested After Oakhurst Crime Spree Leaves K9 Injured

3 hours ago

Top War-Crimes Court Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas Officials

3 hours ago

US Regulators Seek to Break Up Google, Forcing Chrome Sale as Part of Monopoly Punishment

U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant se...

5 minutes ago

5 minutes ago

US Regulators Seek to Break Up Google, Forcing Chrome Sale as Part of Monopoly Punishment

10 minutes ago

Wall Street Climbs as Nvidia Swings, Bitcoin Rises and Alphabet Sinks

21 minutes ago

Major Storm Drops Record Rain, Downs Trees in Northern California After Devastation Further North

29 minutes ago

Police Report Reveals Assault Allegations Against Hegseth, Trump’s Pick for Defense Secretary

35 minutes ago

Republicans Target Social Sciences to Curb Ideas They Don’t Like

1 hour ago

Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

1 hour ago

Fresno County Men Arrested in Armed Robbery Near Sanger High, Sanger Academy

1 hour ago

Newsom Heads to Fresno, a County That Voted for Trump

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend