![]() The easiest way to prevent this type of data collection is to simply not sign up to any of these accounts. ![]() You may not realize it, but as long as you don't expressly sign out of these, they're following along as you browse and slurping up all that sweet, sweet data that makes these companies all their money. ![]() The first way is to track you uses your online accounts from sites like Google, Microsoft and Facebook. Much more valuable is your overall browsing history, which can be pieced together even when you use a VPN. When a site or organization is trying to figure out who you are-usually so they can tailor ads to your browsing habits-the IP address is only one of many data points used for that. That said, even when it comes to tracking VPNs aren't bulletproof. From the website's perspective, it looks like you're accessing it from a different IP address-the VPN server's rather than your own-which means you can appear as if you're elsewhere. When you access the internet, you do so by connecting first to a server run by your internet service provider, which then connects to the website you'd like to visit, in this case, How-To Geek.Ī VPN reroutes your connection: From your ISP's server, your connection goes to one operated by the VPN provider, and then to the site you'd like to visit. What VPNs Will Protect You Fromīefore we get to that, though, it's probably best to go over what virtual private networks are and what they're good for. Let's take a look at some of the dangers a VPN can't help you with. The latter already displays ads, while the former is going to deliver advertising to users next year.VPNs are powerful tools that can help keep you safe on the web, but they aren't some kind of magical armor that will protect you from all online dangers-no matter how much VPN providers promise that they are. Of course, that’s not necessarily a viable option for specific apps, especially chat apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. But if you’re concerned about Facebook tracking your location, the only thing you can do right now is to remove all Facebook apps from your phone and stop using it altogether. Or lawmakers in certain markets may force it to address these issues. Imagine opening Facebook during a visit to an abortion clinic to communicate with friends for support in a difficult decision, and instead, seeing an ad campaign for cute baby clothes created by anyone who wants to target women making this difficult decision.įacebook could change its location-tracking policies to actually give users control over the data they choose to share in the future if it wanted to. And since individuals cannot meaningfully stop Facebook from inferring or using their location for advertising, they also cannot avoid such ads. This means anyone in the world can create an ad campaign to reach people who have recently visited a particular location, such as a place of worship or an abortion clinic. The professor also offers the following example: But there may be cases where people could abuse this feature, since Facebook allows ad targeting down to a very small geographic area, like a house (as seen in the screenshot above). Also, many Internet users have no problem with Facebook swiping their location data for ads. And Facebook does need to make money to keep providing its services. Some people may argue that it’s all standard operating procedure for companies that offer online services for “free,” with ads showing in the background of everything you do. ![]() Even though the Location Services setting was turned to “Never” in the iPhone Facebook app, and Location History was cleared and turned off, Facebook still showed Korolova ads that matched her location. University of Southern California computer science professor Aleksandra Korolova explained how Facebook does it in great detail on Medium. And all of this happens as Facebook continues to give users the impression they can control whether or not they share location data with Facebook. Even without access to your accurate location data from the smartphone, Facebook uses information from your browsing habits, including IP address, Wi-Fi network, and Bluetooth to pinpoint your whereabouts and place relevant ads inside its apps. Facebook does indeed track your location when you’re using its apps, and it’s all done to serve targeted ads to users. If you’ve ever felt like Facebook always knows where you’ve been in spite of adjusting settings in its mobile apps to stop the app from accessing your location, then you’re not the only one.
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