Some people can’t bring themselves to totally delete their Facebook account for one reason or another. One option if you want to still have the option of coming back is to deactivate it. But if you think that you’re totally safe from the social network’s prying eyes, apparently you’re not. It seems that the fine print indicates that they will still be able to track your Internet movements even when you’re not using the app and service, bringing another privacy issue to the controversial company.
We don’t need to detail anymore all that has befallen Facebook and its users the past couple of years. But all these things have caused watchdogs to always keep a close eye on the goings on within the company. This latest one points out that even as some users deactivate their accounts, Facebook is still able to gather data about their online activities so that when you do decide to come back, they can still serve you the ads that will supposedly pique your interests.
If you read their data policy, they do say that deactivation will “manage” your privacy but they don’t say exactly how their data collection still works even if you take that “half step” towards deletion. And they will probably say that deactivating is more about becoming “invisible” from other people in the network rather than from them. Privacy experts are of course criticizing this as users have the expectation that when you deactivate an account, it’s an understanding that the wheels should not be turning.
If you didn’t know this yet, Facebook can actually track you even if you’ve logged out of the network or even when you don’t have an account. This is through Facebook Pixels and the share button that a lot of websites currently use. That’s why when you go back to Facebook, you’ll sometimes see ads related to websites you’ve been visiting. The Facebook Audience Network still gives you targeted ads even when you’re not on the network.
The easiest way to deal with this is of course to just delete your Facebook account. They give you 30 days to change your mind but also note that during this period, they will still be able to track you.
VIA: CNet
