Facebook currently has more than two billion active users. It means if you randomly choose four people from anywhere in the world, at least one of them would have logged into Facebook. For many of them, Facebook is a major part of their daily life. In such a scenario, it is necessary to take complete control of your facebook account and not lose your online identity.
Today, let’s see how you can take control of your online identity on the world’s largest social networking platform.
Access Your Personal Data on Facebook
To begin with, you should download all your personal data from Facebook.
Also, Facebook could be aware of data that you haven’t revealed as well. After 2018’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook became more transparent about data collection. During this scandal, a third-party Facebook app developer accessed and sold the personal data of Facebook users.
Let’s see how you can download Facebook data through a computer device.
Laptop or desktop process:
- Log in to Facebook.
- Click the down arrow on the top right of the menu bar and click on Settings.
- From the left bar, click on Your Facebook Information.
- There will be five options. Click on Download Your Information.
- On clicking View, you can see a screen to choose the format and date range of the data. You can set the Date Range for All of my data and select Media Quality to High. You will get a high-quality version of all of your photos and videos for download.
- Click on Create File, and Facebook will start the process. The downloading step might take some time, but you will get a notification from Facebook when your data is ready for download.
- After you get the notification, Click on it and Download your data.
Facebook mobile app process:
- Click on the 3-bar hamburger menu icon at the top right of the app.
- Scroll down to select Settings & Privacy, and then press Settings.
- Click on Download Your Information.
- Check all the options, and scroll down. Ensure the Date Range is All of my data and set Media Quality to High.
- Click on Create File, and a Facebook notification will tell you when the data is ready for download.
Based on your activity level on Facebook, the data file can be huge. It could range from a few hundred MB to several GB of data.
Some other options on the Your Facebook Information page for your desktop that you need to consider are:
Access Your Information – Here, you get to know everything that Facebook knows about you. You get the data in categories like Posts, Location, and Photos. You can see this data within the Facebook platform. But, we need to own a copy of our data outside of Facebook.
Activity Log – With the activity log, you can see your Facebook posts and Timeline Review. You can see old posts over the years, but this just gives you an idea of how much Facebook knows about you over the surface.
Managing Your Data – Here, you can easily manage your permission settings or report an issue. First, you get a question like, do you need help with Instagram or Facebook. Then you need to attempt a few predefined questions. Finally, you will be directed to the right place on Facebook to adjust the settings.
Deactivation and Deletion – Using this option, you can either deactivate your account temporarily or permanently delete it.
What Personal Data Does Facebook Have Access To?
Once you download the personal data file, you have clarity on how much Facebook knows about you. It starts with photos and posts.
There are other interesting tracking details as well.
For instance, Facebook tracks your location history. Facebook knows your exact navigation data. In most cases, it shows the message “Place in _____.”
Under the Ads tab, you can see a list of advertisers who have your contact details. These advertisers use your contact details to target ads. It can be scary or intriguing from a personal perspective.
A Few Things to Remember Before You Plan to Quit Facebook
Facebook holds a lot of information about its users, which can cause a security risk. With a quarter of the world’s population active on Facebook, everyone is on the same boat. However, there are positives to Facebook as well. If you are careful with the information that you disclose, you can easily safeguard your privacy.
Remember, Facebook is an ideal platform for:
- Connecting with friends and family
- Following influencers and businesses
- Joining common interest groups with like-minded people
- Business marketing and targeting new customers
In a future blog, we’ll review Facebook’s current privacy settings. We will walk you through the process of protecting your identity.
Did you get a chance to review your Facebook data? Did you learn something new about yourself? If you would like to add your inputs, share your thoughts with MyTek!