How Facebook Tracks You Even When You’re Offline

When it comes to shady practices conducted by social media companies, Facebook takes the cake. Facebook has shown it has no problem with monitoring and collecting your personal information to sell it to companies who can target you more effectively, and their new data collection practice is the most startling yet…

With more people implementing stronger security measures in protecting their data, Facebook is looking for a new source of data to sell to advertisers. Now, the social media giant is partnering with retail stores to record your shopping habits so they can target you more effectively. This partnership will have the two parties collecting information like shopping habits, demographic data, and contact information that will be used to create targeted ad campaigns for consumers. 

The information will include specific data points such as items purchased, how much money spent, and your name and contact information. All of this is collected at the register, then matched against a Facebook account and profile information. The service is referred to as “off-Facebook activity,” and has reportedly been in use at big-name retail chains including Macy’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. 

Despite this being one of the more intrusive encroachments by Facebook into people’s privacy, there are several actions you can take to ensure your data is not as risk. 

• Log into your Facebook account 
• Head to the ad settings page 
• Located the section labeled Ads based on data from partners
• Select the Not Allowed box. This will stop Facebook from sending your data to third parties

It is important to remember that doing this will not stop Facebook from collecting your data while online, it will only limit your data being sent to other companies. Nevertheless, countless people are deciding to leave Facebook behind in 2020, citing constant privacy violations and negligence on the company’s part.