Clearly, while living in a world where data sharing is imperative, it also calls for corrective action in our social universe. Here are 5 simple things you can do to stop Facebook from looking over your shoulder:
1. Turn off Facebook’s behavioral tracking
Facebook’s “behavioral tracking and targeting” can track your mood while you are at it, unless you choose to turn off this service. Facebook can also pair with Wi-Fi and radio signals, beacons, cell towers and partner with brick-and-mortar stores to follow you when you’re offline.
Tip: Revisit your Settings >> Select Adverts >> Edit preferences >> Set to No
2. Don’t get lured by fishy vampire apps
Think of all the personality quizzes you have taken on Facebook asking you to agree to their terms of use. Who’s got the time to read, right? You are actually giving them a free run to pull personal data from your work history and timeline posts.
Tip: You can 1) Review and edit all installed apps 2) Remove apps you don’t use 3) Turn off apps completely
3. Try not to log into sites using Facebook
When signing up on many websites, we feel it’s easier to just hit the ‘Sign In Using Facebook’ button. By doing this we are inviting and installing new cookies in our systems. The tracking id contained in the cookie will inform the mothership of your internet and whereabouts.
Tip: Always register for a new service afresh, rather than logging in with Google or Facebook.There is a high possibility that you become a victim of fake news articles
There is a high possibility that you become a victim of fake news articles
4. Exercise restraint when liking or sharing posts
Facebook runs AI programs that help it figure exactly what users are saying in their posts plus what they think when sharing or liking something. There is a high possibility that you become a victim of fake news articles that are laced with wrong facts and misconstrued opinions.
Tip: Thoroughly research any news piece that is likely to be judged as being your own opinion.
5. Don’t let Facebook listen to you or track your location
Give away this information for Facebook to serve better ads, if you may like it. However, it can reveal where you connect to the internet, through which IP on computers, tablets or phones. It can tell where you use your phone, through GPS and location services from Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Tip: If you don’t want to share your every move with a bunch of advertisers or possible dangerous hackers, disable location and microphone tracking.
These are some very basic steps that we can implement immediately to better prepare for the future. But, let us rest assured that the Facebook poll fiasco is only the tip of the iceberg and there is a lot more that needs to be done.
Profile:
Meenu Bagla currently leads the global charter of Brand and Digital Marketing for Tech Mahindra.
She has 18+ years of global experience in e-commerce start ups, IT & BPO industry across the spectrum of Consulting and IT services, enterprise-business solutions and technology products players including Wipro, Oracle, Aditya Birla Group, Quinnox and CSS.
She has taken on varied roles across the life cycle of GTM right from strategy, planning, evangelisation to ecosystem including alliances, key account management, sales & new business development to leading marketing function globally.
She is defined by her creative thinking driving differentiation, mindshare and growth with:
Passionate team
Perseverance in strategy to execution
Unrelenting focus on quality
