FACEBOOK continues to harvest data from its users by building a profile of what they search and like.
But there are two ways you can permanently stop the social media giant tracking your every move, according to one expert.
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The first is to simply delete your account.
The second is to clear your history on the site before turning off future tracking and deactivating your account, Forbes reports.
There is increasing scrutiny of how giant tech companies handle their data and who is harvesting it.
Security experts have already warned about ad tracking in which every website you visit, every item you buy online, is being watched by advertisers and marketers trying to figure out how to get your attention.
The Sun reported on Monday how smartphone users had been advised to download an app if they’re tired of Google and Facebook secretly tracking their devices.
DuckDuckGo says its new protection helps to “block third-party trackers like Google and Facebook lurking in other apps.”
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The company emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results.
The move means that smartphone users worried about their privacy can join a waitlist to protect their data.
PRIVACY CONCERNS
The tracking issue was highlighted over Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, revealing how companies can compile valuable information as users scour the internet.
The tech companies compile the information to build a comprehensive user profile to target the user with specific and clickable – and so more profitable – advertising.
Apple and Google are currently engaged in a fierce war for dominance online and the issue of privacy could be a key factor when users choose which browser to use.
Apple has said it is has made privacy a top priority in all its products, including Safari.
Brave, an internet start-up, has also said privacy is a core element, while Mozilla and Microsoft have also highlighted privacy as a way to differentiate themselves from Google Chrome.
Although Google relies on ad revenue, its engineers are building a “privacy sandbox,” reports CNET.
Users can increase their privacy settings by disabling several features like your browser’s location tracking, turning off search engine autocomplete features and canceling password auto-fills.
Regularly deleting your browser’s history will also help.
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