Did you know many of your favorite companies or brands share your information with Facebook?
JK. It’s 2020 — of course you know that.
As tailored as Facebook often feels, it should come as no surprise to know that the social media platform has the inside scoop on what makes you tick.
What may come as a surprise, however, is realizing just how easy it is for you to pinpoint exactly (more or less) what companies are sharing your information with Mark Zuckerberg and the gang. They call it “Off-Facebook Activity” — here’s what you need to know about it.
What is Off-Facebook Activity?
Off-Facebook Activity is described as an activity that “includes information that businesses and organizations share with [Facebook] about your interactions with [those businesses and organizations].”
Facebook goes on to describe those “interactions” as logging onto an app or website using your Facebook credentials, or even something as simple as visiting the website itself. Between the Terms of Use and Privacy Policies that exist on virtually all websites belonging to any company, the sharing of your information with Facebook and other third-party companies has become fairly standard practice in the digital age.
Facebook goes on to explain that your activity is used to “personalize your experience, such as showing you relevant ads.”
Here’s how Facebook sums it all up:
Jane buys a pair of shoes from an online clothing and shoe store.
The store shares Jane’s activity with us using our business tools.
We receive Jane’s Off-Facebook Activity and we save it with her Facebook account. The activity is saved as “visited the Clothes and Shoes website” and “made a purchase.”
Jane sees an ad on Facebook for a 10% off coupon on her next shoe or clothing purchase from the online store.
Does this sound familiar? Because it should absolutely sound familiar.
We’ve all been there: surfing the web for a new product that we want (but don’t really need), only to then be bombarded with loads of ads from dozens of companies who happen to offer that same product you were after.
The most disappointing part here? That they’ve acknowledged a “made a purchase” category exists. Because for as often as we’ve been suffocated with ads for products we’re looking to buy, we almost always get hit with an equal amount of ads long after we’ve made the purchase.
I don’t want to buy a second car, Mark. I don’t have your kind of money. Now please fix your algorithm so I can only see what I’m going to buy next.
How Do I Access My Off-Facebook Activity?
The good news? Facebook doesn’t give you any major roadblocks to find out who is sharing your information. Getting a strong idea of what companies are sharing your activity with Facebook is actually pretty easy.
Desktop:
Log in to Facebook
Click the down arrow in the upper-right corner
Click Settings & Privacy (new Facebook layout only)
Click Settings
Click Your Facebook Information in the left panel
Click Off-Facebook Activity in the right panel
Under the Off-Facebook Activity section, click on any of the brand icons
Mobile:
Log in to Facebook
Select the hamburger menu in the bottom-right corner
Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy
Select Settings from dropdown menu
Scroll down and select Off-Facebook Activity under Your Facebook Information section
Under the Off-Facebook Activity section, select any of the visible brand icons
Now scroll down and bear witness to all of the awesome companies that have betrayed you.
Et tu, Nespresso?
Do keep in mind, however, that some of your activity will not appear on that list. Facebook states that it may take a few days for your activity to be shown. It also creates a nice little safety net when stating that “technical” reasons may prevent a complete list from being displayed.
And for a quick trip to Yikes City: Facebook also states that “in rare cases, [Facebook] may continue to store your activity for security reasons.”
So, yeah, not totally great but still better than nothing… right?
All Right, Now What?
We’ve breached the walls and stormed the castle. Cool. Now what?
Much of what comes next will largely depend on how you view all of the prior information.
Do you actually care that Facebook knows what websites you’re visiting and what you’re shopping for? Maybe.
Or do you appreciate having a feed that’s more or less customized for you and what you’re likely to buy? Also maybe.
To those in the latter category, I bid you adieu. Keep doing you. No judgments here.
To those in the former category, keep reading.
Facebook gives you the ability to not only view, but manage your Off-Facebook Activity within its interface. From here, you’ll be able to either clear your entire history, or manage any of your future activity these brands are able to share with Facebook.
Turning off future activity from any particular brand won’t necessarily stop you from seeing advertisements from that brand, with Facebook noting that “your ad preferences and actions you take on Facebook will be used to show you relevant ads.”
You’ll also be able to access your information, all of which has been categorized for searchability. Categories include Posts, Comments, Messages, Groups, Apps and Websites, among others — all dating back several years. You can also download a copy directly to your machine for your own records.
Facebook clearly states that it does not sell your information to anyone, and it strictly prohibits businesses or organizations from sharing sensitive information, such as health or financial information, date of birth, and passwords.
That said, it’s Facebook. The company has become synonymous with privacy concerns over the years, making it difficult to accept those terms at face value. We already went into detail about the social media giant’s run-ins with the Federal Trade Commission over user-privacy issues — incidents that wound up costing the company at least $5 billion. But, hey, maybe Facebook’s learned from past mistakes.
Either way, if you want to take back some control over your virtual activities, rest assured knowing there’s a pretty easy way to do so.