We all look for that “Clear History” tab to ensure our privacy while browsing on social media sites. Social media activity is continuously rising and the concern for privacy and security persists. Facebook finally launched its clear history tool in Ireland, South Korea, and Spain. This is a smart step in the continued journey of social media privacy and transparency.
View, Control, Turn-off
The long-awaited clearing history option for Facebook started with the initial rollout of its promised ‘clear history’ tool. Users can now view the websites and apps that send Facebook information with the option of turning off the platform’s ability to store the same data moving forward.
As explained by Facebook “This is another way to give people more transparency and control on Facebook.”
You’re now in control with an option to see everything. The magic wand is in your hand and you can manipulate it the way you want by seeing the list of the apps and websites that show Facebook a summary of your activity.
Building Off-Facebook Activity
People have shown concern about the way their personal data is being utilised and what Facebook is tracking. To make the platform more transparent, users can disconnect the information they want from their account.
This change in the platform’s user activity required an extensive redesign of the way the system stores and processes this activity resulting in new methods for disconnecting the information from the user’s profile.
Facebook doesn’t store off-site activity in one centralised profile, the various data sources had to be brought together along with finding new ways to manage the different types of information.
Users in Ireland, South Korea, and Spain will be getting first access to the functionality ahead of an expanded push.
Creating an Impact for Advertisers
This change will also have an impact on Facebook’s ad targeting tools based on how many people will select to delete their history. This, however, might result in less capability to get in-depth tracking for advertising purposes.
Facebook is clearly catering to the needs of users to make the platform more private, trustworthy, and transparent.
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