Deactivating your Facebook account doesn't stop data collection
Deactivating your Facebook account doesn't stop data collection
2:15

Deactivating your Facebook account doesn't stop data collection

Internet Culture
So it ends up deactivating your Facebook account to stop the social network from tracking you, doesn't work. Alfred you looked into this, tell us what you found out. Yeah, so I have been deactivating my account everytime I log out of Facebook Facebook instead of just closing the window or anything like that, because I thought that would put a pause on a data collection any time I'm not on Facebook. It turns out that is not true. The only way that Facebook really stops collecting data on you is if you permanently delete it. Now, a lot of people do need Facebook accounts like I do, cuz I have to sign up for these two workshops every week to get on a college campus, so I have to have my Facebook account. So I thought I'd just reactivate it for those two days and come back to it, but yeah. It was a total waste of time. Yep. Facebook was still tracking you. Yeah, did nothing. So Facebook tracked you as if you're still on the social network. And their reasoning behind it is They assume that when you deactivate your account, it means you wanna come back. So they keep all this stuff. They keep tracking you anyway, so if you come back, all the ads and your newsfeed is still relevant to you. So let's say I go through a basketball phase all of a sudden after I deactivated my account. As when I reactivate it, all my ads will be based on basketball now. Even though I didn't do that before I deactivated my account. What are the other interesting aspects? So yes, you can delete your entire Facebook account and that would get rid of a lot of the data that had alreaady had stored on you, but as you mentioned Story. Facebook is so deeply embedded in the internet at this point that it's still tracking people that didn't ever have Facebook accounts. So yeah, even if you don't have Facebook account they track you based on your browser. Your browser has certain things that identify you so it knows what bookmarks you have an things like that, your IP address. These kind of small fingerprints on your browser. And they can serve you ads just based on, in your browser itself. So even if you're not on Facebook, Facebook is serving you ads on other websites. That's pretty aggravating. I think the difference here, with these deactivated accounts, is people have this assumption in their mind, like I did, that, if it's deactivated, they're probably not tracking me, or trying it to my account. Turns out that is not true, nope.

Up Next

Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
240328-yt-omt-wwdc24-v07

Up Next

Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal

What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
240321-site-apple-and-gemini-ai

What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like

Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here
240320-site-microsoft-surface-pros-first-look-v2

Microsoft Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 Are Here

Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event
sc-googlehealthai-00-02-29-25-still001

Everything Just Announced at Google's AI Health Event

Everything Just Revealed at Nvidia's GTC AI Conference
nvidiastill

Everything Just Revealed at Nvidia's GTC AI Conference

Nvidia Reveals Omniverse Cloud Streams to the Vision Pro
nvidia-vision-pro-image

Nvidia Reveals Omniverse Cloud Streams to the Vision Pro

Nvidia Shows Project GROOT and Disney Bots at GTC Conference
robot-2

Nvidia Shows Project GROOT and Disney Bots at GTC Conference

Expert vs. AI: Is Now the Time to Buy an EV?
gettyimages-1178244881

Expert vs. AI: Is Now the Time to Buy an EV?

Apple Has Big Ideas for a Smart Ring
240314-yt-omt-apple-ring-v4

Apple Has Big Ideas for a Smart Ring

SpaceX's Starship 3rd Flight Attempt (Supercut)
spacexstarshiptestflight1

SpaceX's Starship 3rd Flight Attempt (Supercut)

Tech Shows

The Apple Core
apple-core-w

The Apple Core

Alphabet City
alphabet-city-w

Alphabet City

CNET Top 5
cnet-top-5-w

CNET Top 5

The Daily Charge
dc-site-1color-logo.png

The Daily Charge

What the Future
what-the-future-w

What the Future

Tech Today
tech-today-w

Tech Today

Latest News All latest news

Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
240328-yt-omt-wwdc24-v07

Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal

New Xbox Leaked
240328-yt-xbox-leaked-image-v01

New Xbox Leaked

Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
pic3

Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter

Apple and Meta Are Competing for Your Memories
screenshot-2024-03-22-at-17-41-16.png

Apple and Meta Are Competing for Your Memories

Nvidia's Project GR00T vs. Tesla Optimus: Competing Robot Strategies
240321-site-nvidia-project-groot-vs-tesla-optimus-v1

Nvidia's Project GR00T vs. Tesla Optimus: Competing Robot Strategies

What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like
240321-site-apple-and-gemini-ai

What Google Gemini AI on the iPhone Could Look Like

Most Popular All most popular

First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
innovation

First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
240123-site-samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-review-4

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost

'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
circlesearchpic

'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen

Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
asus-preces-00-00-25-11-still003

Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop

Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
samsung-galaxy-ring-clean

Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions

Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
240111-site-best-of-ces-2024-1

Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024

Latest Products All latest products

Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
pic3

Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter

Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
240320-site-nuro-r3-first-look-v1

Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar

First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
240304-site-nothing-phone-2-first-look-v3

First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day

Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
240229-site-best-of-show-at-mwc

Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More

This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display
240225-site-lenovo-translucent-laptop-concept-v3

This Concept Laptop from Lenovo Has a Transparent Display

Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist
240225-site-motorola-rollable-concept

Motorola's Rollable Concept Phone Wraps on Your Wrist

Latest How To All how to videos

Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
240311-site-windows-11-hidden-tips-and-tricks-v2

Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features

Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
VisionOS 1.0.3

Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3

Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
240216-site-galaxy-s24-ultra-tips-and-hidden-features-2

Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra

TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro
tiktok-on-vision-pro-clean

TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro

Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips
superbowl-tv-settings-thumb1

Get Your TV Ready for the Big Game: Super Bowl Setup Tips

How to Use a Quest 3 Like the Vision Pro
240202-site-spatial-computing-on-meta-quest-3

How to Use a Quest 3 Like the Vision Pro