Facebook Allows Users to Control Which Apps Share Data

A new tool that allows users to delete the data that third-party platforms are sharing with Facebook, is now available in every global market.

‘Off-Facebook Activity’ shows which businesses are sending the social media giant information about specific user activity on their sites. This data can then be sold on to relevant advertising services to ensure tailored marketing materials are displayed.

The new screens give Facebook members the opportunity to review this data and delete if necessary.

Kaitlyn Tiffany, a journalist from The Atlantic, analysed her personal results just after the feature was released. She found that Tinder had been sharing her activity more than any other website or app, with 685 interaction reports in the last six months.

This story came just a day after The Next Web reported that Tinder’s new safety feature was sharing data with Facebook and YouTube.

The ‘Panic Button’ allows users to immediately share their location and alert emergency services if they feel unsafe while on a first date. 

However, users need to download Noonlight, a personal safety app, in order to activate the button, which shares locations, names, phone numbers, and health information with “third-party business partners, vendors, and consultants”.

Earlier this month, Facebook introduced a notification system that alerted users whenever they signed into an app with their Facebook Login.

Read more here.