It’s no secret that apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger collect an enormous amount of personal data. In fact, Meta (formerly Facebook) has built its entire empire around tracking users, analyzing behavior, and selling that information to advertisers. You’ve probably noticed targeted ads popping up after a quick scroll through Instagram or Facebook, and wondered how it happens. Well, it’s not just a coincidence, Meta is watching.
Many users are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with this level of surveillance. But with these apps being so deeply integrated into our daily lives, how can you stop the flow of personal information from your device into Meta’s data bank? While it may seem impossible to completely stop them from tracking you, there are definitely ways to limit it. From adjusting privacy settings to being more mindful of what permissions you grant, you can regain some control over your data.
In this article, we’ll explore 14 effective tips that can help you minimize data tracking on these social networks. While you may not be able to completely evade Meta’s watchful eye, you can at least ensure they don’t have a front-row seat to your personal life.
1. Turn Off Location Services
One of the easiest ways Meta collects data about you is through location services. These apps track your whereabouts, often in real-time, to serve you hyper-localized ads. Disabling location services can severely limit this kind of tracking.
To turn off location services, go into your phone’s settings and disable location access for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. You can also use location settings in the apps themselves to manage what data Meta collects based on your movements.
2. Review and Edit Ad Preferences
Meta uses your activity across its platforms to create detailed advertising profiles. You can actually see and edit what they’ve categorized you as. By heading to your Facebook ad preferences, you can remove interests, behaviors, and other information they use to target ads at you.
While this doesn’t stop all tracking, it does reduce the relevance and specificity of ads. The less targeted the ads, the fewer insights Meta has into your behavior.
3. Limit Data Sharing with Third-Party Apps
Data tracking often happens when you log into other apps or websites using your Facebook or Instagram credentials. This is because these third-party services often request access to your profile or friends list. Be careful about which apps you link to your Facebook or Instagram account.
You can manage this by going to your account settings and reviewing all the apps connected to your profile. Revoke access to any that seem unnecessary or overly invasive.
4. Disable Facial Recognition
Meta has been rolling out facial recognition technology across its platforms for years, particularly on Facebook. The tool is used to suggest tags in photos and videos, but it also contributes to a vast biometric database.
To disable facial recognition, go into your Facebook settings and toggle it off. This will help prevent Meta from storing your facial data and associating it with your profile.
5. Limit Who Can See Your Posts and Information
By default, Meta wants your posts to be as public as possible because more visibility equals more data. You can limit this by adjusting the privacy settings on your posts, stories, and personal information like your birthday, hometown, or relationship status.
Change your privacy settings so only friends (or even just yourself) can see your posts and personal details. This helps restrict the data that advertisers and third parties can access about you.
6. Use Privacy-Focused Extensions
To further minimize Meta’s reach, consider using privacy-focused browser extensions like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger. These tools block third-party trackers, including Meta’s notorious Facebook Pixel, which monitors your browsing habits across the web.
By blocking these trackers, you make it harder for Meta to build a comprehensive picture of your online activity beyond its own platforms.
7. Adjust Data Collection on Instagram
Instagram is another major player in Meta’s data-harvesting machine. The app tracks your activity both on and off the platform. In your settings, you can turn off data sharing to limit what Instagram collects about your interactions with other sites and apps.
While you’re at it, review your Instagram ad settings as well. The less data Instagram has on you, the fewer targeted ads you’ll see.
8. Limit Messenger’s Access to Your Data
Messenger is notorious for its data collection. The app has access to your contacts, location, messages, and even your phone’s camera and microphone. You can limit this by adjusting permissions in your phone settings, so Messenger can only access what’s necessary for basic functionality.
You can also opt to use the web version of Messenger instead of the app. The web version has fewer permissions and still lets you communicate without giving Meta access to all of your phone’s data.
9. Clear Your Off-Facebook Activity
Meta tracks your activities beyond its platforms through a feature called Off-Facebook Activity. This allows them to monitor what websites and apps you visit, even when you’re not logged into Facebook. Fortunately, you can review and clear this data.
To do this, go to your Facebook settings, find the Off-Facebook Activity tool, and clear your history. You can also turn off future tracking through this feature, limiting how much Meta knows about your browsing habits.
10. Disable Contact Syncing on Facebook and Instagram
Both Facebook and Instagram often encourage you to sync your contacts to help you “find friends” on the platform. What they don’t make clear is that they store this contact information for their own purposes, including ad targeting and account recovery.
To stop this, go to your settings and turn off contact syncing for both apps. This prevents Meta from uploading your entire contact list and gaining access to your personal and professional relationships.
11. Avoid Facebook’s In-App Browser
When you click on links in the Facebook app, they don’t open in your regular web browser but in Facebook’s own in-app browser. This gives Meta more control over tracking your behavior on external websites.
To avoid this, manually copy the link and open it in a separate browser like Chrome or Safari. Alternatively, adjust your settings so that links open directly in your default browser instead of Facebook’s internal one.
12. Turn Off Facebook Search History
Every search you make on Facebook is logged to create a more personalized experience. However, this also provides Meta with a detailed record of your interests and preferences. To stop this, you can clear your search history and adjust your settings to prevent future logging.
Go to your Activity Log on Facebook, find your search history, and clear it regularly. This reduces the amount of behavioral data Meta collects from you.
13. Review App Permissions Regularly
Over time, Facebook and Instagram can quietly gain more permissions on your phone than you realize. These include access to your photos, camera, microphone, and more. Reviewing these permissions regularly ensures that Meta isn’t overreaching into your personal data.
Head into your phone’s settings and review app permissions. Revoke anything that doesn’t seem necessary for the app to function. This limits the amount of data Meta can gather from your device.
14. Disable Personalized Ads
Meta’s personalized ads are driven by your behavior across their apps, and they collect this data whether you interact with ads or not. By turning off personalized ads, you can limit how much Meta targets you based on your browsing habits.
Go to your ad settings on both Facebook and Instagram and turn off personalized ads. You may still see ads, but they’ll be less relevant and won’t be based on your data.
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With an honors degree in financial engineering, Omega Ukama deeply understands finance. Before pursuing journalism, he honed his skills at a private equity firm, giving him invaluable real-world experience. This combination of financial literacy and journalistic flair allows him to translate complex financial matters into clear and concise insights for his readers.
With an honors degree in financial engineering, Omega Ukama deeply understands finance. Before pursuing journalism, he honed his skills at a private equity firm, giving him invaluable real-world experience. This combination of financial literacy and journalistic flair allows him to translate complex financial matters into clear and concise insights for his readers.
