by Team AllYourVideogames | Apr 9, 2022 | Facebook |
It is not today that we are the target of fake news. One that's been floating around is about Off-Facebook Activity. From the moment we pass on information without checking the content, we are responsible for spreading the news.
That's exactly what happened in a recent video shared on Whatsapp teaching people how to control privacy from the configuration of activity outside of Facebook.
The problem with the video itself was not that it taught the step-by-step how to disable apps linked to Facebook.
The person claims in the video that the social network has access to users' bank accounts and this false statement ends up having a lot of repercussions on Whatsapp groups.
Learn more: Deep fake: know what it is and if you are being deceived
“Facebook has access to all your apps, all the transfers you make, all access to the bank, how much you have in your account. And we enable it when we configure it”, says the person in the video. Then she explains how to do the step by step to unconfigure the applications linked to Facebook.
Does Facebook have access to the bank account?
According to the Tecnoblog website, the editorial team contacted Facebook and received a response from support regarding the subject covered in the video.
“We prohibit companies or organizations from sharing sensitive information with us, such as financial or health information, date of birth and passwords,” explains a spokesperson.
“It is not true that Facebook tracks people's financial and banking information as suggested in the video. In addition, we prohibit companies or organizations from sharing sensitive data with the platform, such as financial or health information.” Therefore, the company denies the rumor.
What is Off-Facebook Activity?
According to the description of the social network itself, the activity outside of Facebook is made up of information that companies and organizations share about the interactions that the user makes with them, such as visits to websites or applications.
In this way, when we link the Facebook account to applications, for example, we are giving away some data. But what are these data anyway? These are the movements we carry out on social networks, such as:
- Open an application;
- Log into an app using Facebook login;
- View content (post, video, etc.);
- Search for an item;
- Add an item to the shopping cart (in store on the social network);
- Make a purchase by clicking on the social network button;
- Make a donation through the social networking tool.
What does Facebook do with this data?
It is important to note that Facebook is a free social network because of the ads shown to users. This data is used to personalize the experience of each one, such as showing ads that are more relevant to the person's profile and encouraging them to buy a certain product. Let's take an example to better illustrate how it works.
Learn more: Facebook Ads: Complete Guide to Creating Paid Ads
If you buy a pair of shoes from an online store, that store shares this activity with Facebook. This information is saved as “so-and-so accessed the shoes website” and “made a purchase”.
From then on, you will receive the ad on Facebook with a 10% discount coupon on your next shoe purchase.
Companies and marketing agencies make use of this data to better understand how the customer's purchase behavior works and the entire journey he goes through until he takes the action to purchase the product.
Learn more: 5 foolproof ideas for remarketing on Facebook and Instagram to sell more
From the Facebook profile it is also possible to understand what the likes, hobbies and interests of potential customers are. In summary, we will list what are the main actions of Facebook in relation to your data:
- Show ads that are more relevant to you, as it knows which products registered in Facebook stores you visited or clicked to buy;
- Suggest groups, events or Marketplace items you might like;
- Help you discover new companies and brands of similar taste;
- Helping companies and organizations know how their own websites, apps or ads are performing and whether they are reaching the right people;
- Identify suspicious activity to keep Facebook safe.
Learn more: Facebook Marketplace: How it works and tips to sell more
How to disable activity outside of Facebook?
Despite Facebook's explanation of the use of user data, the social network has already been involved in very serious scandals, as was the case with Cambridge Analytica.
So, in case you think it's better to disable this Facebook function for this reason, let's explain the step by step that is very easy:
Step 1. Access your profile menu. Whether on mobile or browser.
Step 2. Go to “Settings & Privacy”
Step 3. Go to Settings
Step 4. Go to “Off Facebook Activity”
Step 5. Choose the option “Disconnect History”
Step 6. Then go to “More Options”
Step 7. Select “Manage Future Activity”
Step 8. Select "Disable future off-Facebook activity" so that facebook cannot track your profile.
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