Have a Facebook account? Here’s who is watching
Yes, we know why those shoes we clicked on yesterday are now in our Facebook feed. That’s old news. But just how deep is Meta’s surveillance rabbit hole? And how much of our data comes from other companies? It’s unbelievable.
One recent study got to the bottom of things. Spoiler alert: The results are breathtaking — not in a good way.
Our little secret
When I read this Consumer Reports study, I was floored. They looked at the Facebook archives of 709 volunteers to see how many companies were tracking data and sending it to Meta.
Their findings? A mind-boggling 186,892 businesses. On average, each volunteer had data sent to Zuck and Co. by 2,230 companies. Some participants had their details spilled by more than 7,000 organizations. Sheesh.
So who’s gathering the most?
A San Francisco-based data broker called LiveRamp had insights on a whopping 96% of participants. While you’ve probably never heard of LiveRamp, you have heard of other offenders. Mega-retailers like Walmart, Macy’s and Home Depot were in the top 100.
Credit reporting and consumer data giants Experian and Neustar (a TransUnion company), Etsy, PayPal and Amazon made the cut, too.
Pixel perfect
Consumer Reports found a specific form of tracking typically hidden from the public: Server-to-server tracking. This sneaky method moves personal data from a company’s servers back to Meta’s.
Another common method is the ol’ tracking pixel. These little homing devices are placed on websites and help Meta collect “events” from users — everything from visiting a company’s website to leveling up in your favorite video game.
Meta’s pixels surveil people in their most intimate moments, like when filing taxes, taking the SATs and making doctor appointments. They also track folks who dial suicide hotlines. Yeah, they went there.
Keep it clean
To see companies that have been sharing your information outside of Meta platforms:
- Open Facebook on your computer and click your profile pic in the upper right.
- Tap Settings & privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Your information and permissions.
- Click Your activity off Meta technologies, then Recent activity. Here, you can view recent connections between third-party businesses you’ve interacted with.
- Next, you’ll get a list of interactions and have the choice to clear your activity and/or disconnect to prevent future sharing.
If you want more detailed information about your Facebook interactions, click Download your information, then Request a download.
Once your file is ready, you’ll have four days to download it. Get this. The download is password-protected. Seems a little pointless given how many people have seen your info, right?
😆 If Meta ever buys Gmail, the “mark as seen” option will be changed to “Mark has seen.” (It’s so true that it’s just not funny, right?)
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