Fed up with Meta? Avoiding Instagram or Facebook isn’t enough to stop Meta from harvesting and profiting from your private information. Here’s how to limit Meta’s ability to monetize your personal data.
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i give a certain amount of time and energy to confusing meta's robots .... first, i tell fb to block all ads from any and all companies whose ads popped up on my feeds. then i search for things / products / services that i would never want or need. muddying the robotic waters if you will
yesterday i went to everything on my feed that wasn't something i was already following and told them to snooze it for 30 days. can you imagine if every user did that now through Monday. maybe mark suckanass would get the message ??? ...
Just delete all Meta products. Lowering their subscribers will damage their business model. Eventually, they will only be able to advertise Teslas and AK-47s
I can't think of a better place to share this content. Plus, I worked for a company that built content management systems like the one that probably backs this site. It's not necessarily a trivial thing to modify the share bar.
And if you think I’m kidding, wait till you go and look for yourself .
CBS & some rundown hotel that I stayed at four years ago was sharing my information with three other companies..
Well, I went into the ad preferences on the Facebook.
And just look through there and realize that a bunch of mine say allow or it should’ve said do not allow .
Pretty soon it’ll require a 100-step process to download the info to update settings…
“Meta makes it harder than it should be to find and update these settings. The following steps are accurate at the time of publication, but Meta often changes their settings and adds additional steps.”
Please don't just share on this forum. Tell your reps in DC what you think. It only takes a few minutes and best of all..it doesn’t cost any money.
We don’t need money in politics. We just need people to participate.
No, you can still be anonymously tracked by embedded fingerprinting bits of code inserted into web pages. Using something like EFF's Privacy Badger to block these is helpful. (It's not just Meta, bloody everyone does this.)
It took forever to get all of my photos off of FB and Insta and organize them, but being able to delete instead of just deactivate felt wonderful. And the push to print photos for physical albums has been really satisfying.
Does using browsers like DuckDuckGo help keep Meta away?
Firefox does better than Chrome though still not enough. But they also have a fb container extension that does effectively keep it from tracking you on all other tabs
Good points. Another idea: I'm sandboxing their websites into a dedicated container, and uMatrix + uBlock on Firefox so their scripts are not executed on websites.
My huz and I have been off of Facebook since before the 2016 election.
We're happy to see more movement in that direction.
Yes, I've lost contact with childhood friends, but we need to cut off the supply of $ to these entities.
Eat the rich!
Met my wife on FB over 15 years ago. I downloaded my info and deleted it over a decade ago. Not missing those old contacts, because I doubt they’d add anything to my current life. Harsh, but fair.
Deleting Facebook and its accompanying apps was hard, but a positive experience. Save your contacts off the apps such as numbers or emails so you can keep in touch, then purge your accounts! (Delete is a bit boring a word)
I just downloaded all my FB photos today. My departure from all things MAGA-META is set for 01/20/25 @ 9:00 AM California time (the Official Alt-America time ;-)
There is Discord. A few of my Facebook groups have set up shop there. But it’s slow going as a lot of us geezers are set in our ways and resistant to change. Or have a myriad of “reasons” why they “can’t leave”. My accounts will be gone by this weekend.
I need to watch a few YouTube vids on how to use discord. It’s like a combo of Facebook and the old Craigslist forums. I think I’m going to like it a lot once I’m used to it. New neural pathways ftw!
ok but i already deleted all my meta accounts and deleted the app. the article doesn't say anything about how to block them from accessing my info after deletion. now what?
Yes it does you just have to read the article and click on any and all necessary links to further instructions based on your phone type. And I know because I just read the article and followed the instructions
Meta was selling data on interstate abortion travel years ago, state auditors across the country were flagging this as an issue in 2022 with the focus on TikTok, it’s clear elected officials know about this and are misleading consumers to focus on the wrong issues
Hmmm... I had already done all of these steps except for the chrome extension. I don't even remember when I might have done so. Yay younger me! Current me is proud of you.
I’m a cat lady who crochets + watches cat videos etc. I’m conflicted figuring out the right thing to do re leaving FB and IG. There are tons of crochet grps I follow on FB. It’s a super large supportive community and I’d be lost without them.Overseas family posts there too. Hate Zuck but what to do?
Yeah, my struggle is the alpaca groups. There are not a lot of camelid vets, but there are some great ones who share their knowledge freely on Facebook.
I hear you. And. This is the only voice we have left. Even deactivating for a week (or longer, however long you can do it) sends a message. You can do it! 💗
She does talk super fast so I’m gonna have to pause lots to get it done. I emailed it to myself. I figure I can at least do this - loosing his income source will hurt him more. Our META tracking data is still there even if we go dark for a week.
You might want to do a search to see if there’s a better instance than the one I suggested. It’s very good, I was on there for a while but most of my birdsite friends came here.
I’m in the same boat. I could easily shut down FB if it weren’t for my crochet groups. Our small rural community also involves numerous groups that keep us connected and informed. Bluesky wouldn’t work, imo, & tough to move a whole community to a new app.
Many people I’ve talked to are deactivating, not deleting, their FB, Insta, and Threads accounts temporarily to make a point. Some can’t give up their long term connections, but leaving for a period of time is better than nothing.
I use Ravelry to purchase patterns. It’s not an interactive community experience though. Same with Etsy where I buy patterns as well. On YouTube, where I can watch tutorials and read comments, doesn’t have the same interactive chat feature to it like FB either.
Yes - I’m one of them - LOL 😂 great community feel to it for sure. Still FB is unique in that it’s the individual designer’s site. Eg The Mecerie is a UK designer Sue Maton. She posts up coming projects ( CALs) and on going work projects of others. The designers wld need to move to a new platform.
Thanks I did all of this. Most of my settings were already off, but one wasn't. I also installed browser extension. It took me a minute to find the account center on Facebook though . Now I need to deal with my phone.
I got a notice from Barnes &Noble where I have an account, after I logged in, that they got the signal not to sell my info, and they complied. Very cool . And it is blocking lots of cookies it seems
I am too!. It is called privacy badger, only supported by Firefox, which is the browser I use anyway. You can download from the website of this organization that had the instructions to stop Meta from selling your info.
fed up with you not paying me, misallocation of resources, taking up a market share in the limeted goodwill out here, whilst alex jones, elon misk, and joe roangain want rights to the whore , re-consider supporting me 100% War Bonds option, light your marxist biz policy on fire
This article is stupid because it says deleting your accounts isn't enough and then it talks about the first thing you do logging into your account. Stupid
I have no idea how to use any of these. I’m guessing most people don’t. So gross how tech gets away with the worst behavior and our leaders do nothing.
uBlock Origin is a browser extension (an sort of browser app if you will) available on major browsers. It blocks many ads & trackers. Just go to your browser store and download it. Nothing else to do.
I understand your feeling, though I live in Europe it isn't perfect here either. But what I realised is that privacy is a personal journey AND a collective one. I convinced most of my family to switch to Signal, and as a result I feel safer discussing things.
I would add that Brave should not be used with the default configurations, as there are a few “tricky settings” that need to be adjusted to maximize privacy.
In this aspect, the default settings of Firefox provide a more private navigation.
Not true. For example, private messenger Signal allows you to communicate as fast as any modern messaging app.
The idea that you have to give up comfort or abandon technology altogether to have privacy is a false narrative and is often used as a disinformation tool.
Perhaps but I’ve yet to see them not support the tech industry in preference to the common man. Particularly when it comes to the tech industries bottom line. In cases where they have they have been the beneficiary of any compensation.
Are you sure about that???? Can you elaborate? I checked their “about” and it seems to be a melting pot of ethnicities, orientations, and they have a DEI director. Doesn’t seem very right wing to me.
The way that the internet has grown up has been monopolistic. We have companies that data mine what you read, where you go, what you watch, what you search for, if this was govt we’d be up in arms. Frequently they supply govt with the data anyway, and use it to manipulate opinion. 1/2
Via their platforms the commons has been expropriated, and enclosed. You will not find the EFF ever having opposed that, in fact they have always aided and abetted. 2/2
Not working for me. According to the info here, I already had it set like that, and yet the jackasses DO spy on my activity and use it to make ads. Creeps me out.
I SO get it. Only uses DuckDuckGoi for years. Have an array of blockers. Also subscribe to all the Do Not Track mechanisms, but I still get the spidey sense that I'm not safe.
The pathetic part is that I have zero worth stealing.
Yeah but the article was a bit unclear on what people that had long deleted their accounts could do. It seems to imply you must have an active account so you can manage the settings.
Other than of course the legislation that will not pass for at least the next 4 years and installing privacy badger
Four years ago I found my password and opened my FB profile. I thought it was gone. Nope. I downloaded all my info and put the kibosh on the profile once and for all
Yup, deleted way back in 2013 or so once they started the social feed experiments and monetized it. My life and information is not for sale. Any information that was available there was also available in real life....by contacting the people for real.
So I read the article... How does deleting my accounts not solve the problem?? The article did not elaborate on that statement, only claimed it wasn't that simple.
Meta has put “cookies” on your device to track you activity whether you have a Meta app active on your phone or not. They then sell that data to whomever they like. If you’d like them to stop making money off of you even if you don’t use a Meta product, you need to delete those, too.
Exactly my question. I submitted FB and Instagram for deletion last week; scheduled to be fully deleted by Meta 2/05. So from what I am getting is that you need to also install some other 3rd party app to block Meta? But I really don’t want to install yet another app that is supposed to “help.”
/etc/hosts masking entries are your friends. Also install netguard as a first app to any new android mobile phone, replace SMS/contact/phone/mail apps with open&privacy ones, block any other apps (especially keyboard) and enjoy seeing google/meta/X/MS trying, failing and wondering who you are !!
I deleted all of my accounts on Wednesday. Found out about their homophobic new policy last Wednesday and gave myself a week to get people’s numbers/discord/Bluesky and get out.
I was using Facebook almost exclusively for Twilight memes and the Memories function, so I didn’t have much exposure to the toxic sides, but I had already noticed how bad Instagram was getting and kept putting “parental controls” on my phone to protect my peace. This was my last straw too
While true I think constantly shouting this is a defeatist attitude. Spending less time on app or 0 time on app is an effective “vote with your wallet” strategy to decrease ads served.
Only new legislation can affect non user tracking, but you can still delete accounts ASAP instead of waiting.
IIUC, the article basically says keep your account but turn off some opted-in features. Is there no way to do this other than radical ones like living off grid or a revolution?
Another necessary topic, IG (at least) resets your ad preferences with some updates. It defaults to tracking and personalization on. You must recheck and re-deny periodically.
We were taught in the 90's and 2000's to not put personal information on the internet until social media like facebook and myspace convinced everyone it was good actually. I've continued to adhere to that rule the best I can.
You can install tools to stop trackers like uBlock and Ghostery on Firefox. Using Linux will stop Microsoft tracking you as well, which you knows sends that data to Meta. Protonvpn has the option to block trackers and ads as well.
I tried Ubuntu out years ago, and I'm not that much more computer literate than the average person, but I remember it being pretty comprehensible. What stumbling blocks do you think Ubuntu would have for users transitioning from Windows?
Asking as somebody who wants to use Ubuntu daily, someday.
I started out on lindows and use arch now they are alot more mainstream now like mint or ubuntu ans ppl can give it a try befor commiting with a bootable usb drive
Gives you step by step instructions on chging settings in FB plus other things you can do to protect privacy. Also says deleting the FB app is not going to dtop Meta from collecting data on you.
You'll progress the court by deleting all your accts' content, but even when you cancel your acct & shoot & land a basket the game will sadly continue cause team Meta keeps adding time to the clock as they enjoy chasing you all over the court/internet.
I can't remember the name of the company. There is a company for a small fee, they will go and scrub your personal information from the internet. I don't know if it's legitimate or not but may be worth looking into.
I’ve had otherwise smart people tell me in all seriousness that their Smart Phone, Smart TV and Amazon Echo isn’t spying on them. They say it only wakes up when you say their code names. Tried to point out that it has to be listening to hear that code word. But still they don’t believe me.
Comments
And if you think I’m kidding, wait till you go and look for yourself .
CBS & some rundown hotel that I stayed at four years ago was sharing my information with three other companies..
And just look through there and realize that a bunch of mine say allow or it should’ve said do not allow .
And if you need a reference, google it
“Meta makes it harder than it should be to find and update these settings. The following steps are accurate at the time of publication, but Meta often changes their settings and adds additional steps.”
We don’t need money in politics. We just need people to participate.
https://www.nationalfinancialplan.com
Does using browsers like DuckDuckGo help keep Meta away?
We're happy to see more movement in that direction.
Yes, I've lost contact with childhood friends, but we need to cut off the supply of $ to these entities.
Eat the rich!
this is a crisis and we are going to see the consequences the rest of our lives.
𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗹!
PEACE AND RESISTANCE!
Viva l’Amerique /
Aux Barracades
accounthttps://www.facebook.com/deactivate_delete_account/
https://youtu.be/48JLklwOKrY?si=4oUNvddBX7RrxUZx
Of course I saw it on Threads - LOL 🤣
https://www.threads.net/@anisemsmith/post/DE78YQtP13b?xmt=AQGzodejg131MlXmwYmj1TFV2yS3fwpSbA23uTIlF4p6Ew
Thanks. I’m getting lots of ideas here.
This is why I turned off location sharing and will not download Meta onto my phone.
uBlock Origin is a browser extension (an sort of browser app if you will) available on major browsers. It blocks many ads & trackers. Just go to your browser store and download it. Nothing else to do.
For other tools you can check https://privacyguides.org
In this aspect, the default settings of Firefox provide a more private navigation.
I use both on a daily basis.
The idea that you have to give up comfort or abandon technology altogether to have privacy is a false narrative and is often used as a disinformation tool.
The pathetic part is that I have zero worth stealing.
So glad Louis Brandeis didn't live to see this.
"Even deleting your Facebook and Instagram accounts won’t stop Meta from harvesting your personal data"
Other than of course the legislation that will not pass for at least the next 4 years and installing privacy badger
Not everyone is technologically literate.
Aral Balkan’s been highlighting the role that American tech companies have played in violating data & privacy.
This video about how US tech companies have accomplished this is from 5 yrs ago & still prescient:
https://youtu.be/4oOCLIrB-0c
Yes, but not to be seen in the next 4 years.
By the law = for this need fill form acceptibility of the user = self data service
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glEiPXAYE-U
"Even deleting your Facebook and Instagram accounts won’t stop Meta from harvesting your personal data"
Only new legislation can affect non user tracking, but you can still delete accounts ASAP instead of waiting.
These greedy bottom feeders scum must be sent out of business
There's going to need to be a big shift, it's a huge opportunity for a competitior to steal what was a stale but stable offering.
DuckDuckGo browser is great on mobile and desktop.
Twitter s well.
If you participate you are complicit.
shall we?
#Mark_Zuckerberg ‘s reason for creating #Facebook was to rate and shame the girls at his college campus.
After Facebook gained popularity, #Zuckerberg upgraded his skills to stalk and rate you to sell your private information so companies will harass you.
They don't make customization nearly as easy, but they are much easier to learn.
Asking as somebody who wants to use Ubuntu daily, someday.
https://bsky.app/profile/indiepress.bsky.social/post/3lfxtg7jrd22p
(I actually don't know basketball, Im sorry)
Sounds like shady shit to me~
I once accidentally hit my gym teacher on the head with a basketball. Oops.
Know what we are doing
Lucky them
I have a life getting off on it I bet 🥳🥳
Thankfully Apple s righteous about privacy.