Users will now be able to see the reach of Facebook’s tracking outside of the social network through a new tool called “Off-Facebook Activity,” which Mark Zuckerberg announced as “Clear History” more than a year ago.
Almost a year after the Cambridge Analytica scandal that shocked the world and resulted in Netflix’s Great Hack documentary, users can shut down data collection from third-party sites across the wide web.
The key feature however is the ability to now wipe clear the history of any data that’s been collected so far.
So how can you clear your data?
A new tool can be found in account Settings > Off-Facebook Activity, and includes an option allowing you to “clear” your browsing history.
But don’t get too excited. This tool is not available to everyone just yet. The company revealed that it will first roll out the new update in Ireland, South Korea, and Spain and slowly in the new few months to the rest of the world.
This will however affect the company’s revenues. Facebook uses the data its collected on us to target and sell ads.
Speaking to the New York Times, Facebook’s director of product management, David Baser, admits that “If this were widely adopted, it would mean less overall revenue for Facebook.”
Previously, in an interview with CNBC, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said: “our bottom line is getting this right,” while implying the change in ad targeting might slow growth rate.
“But we believe deeply that doing the right thing for people on our service is the only way to protect our long-term business,” she said. “And it is the right thing to do.”
This however, by no means solves all the issues users have with their data and Facebook’s history of using it and selling but but it is a step in the right direction.
