By Prarthana Mitra
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduceda privacy control feature called “Clear History”duringhis keynote address at the F8 Developer Conference on Wednesday. The feature reportedly allowsusers to erase some of the data collected by Facebook.
The introduction of the clear history feature is likely Facebook’s efforts to contain the outcry over the social media giant’s recent controversial data breach. This feature comes as a direct response, to what Zuckerberg calls the demand for a toolthat lets users wipe their data off Facebook’s servers.
While testifying before the US Congress last month, Zuckerberg failed to provide satisfactory answers to questions about Facebook’s data collection and data protection methods. The congressional hearing allegedly helped Zuckerberg realise that the lack of user control over their own information needed to be fixed. This new feature, he says, is an “example of the kind of control we think you should have.”
Here’s what happened
The new feature, which is scheduled to roll out in a few months, is part of Facebook’s commiseration campaign, that aims to reverse some of the damage caused to the social media giant’s image, in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Unlikethe “Clear Activity Log” option, this new feature will enable users to see whichwebsitesand apps send Facebook dataon their activity”what you’ve clicked on, websites you’ve visited, and the ads you’ve interacted with”and then, give them the option to delete it. Zuckerberg likened it to clearing cache and cookies on a web browser, adding that “It will be a simple control to clear your browsing history on Facebook.”
“Once we roll out this update, you’ll be able to see information about the apps and websites you’ve interacted with, and you’ll be able to clear this information from your account. You’ll even be able to turn off having this information stored with your account,”Zuckerberg wrotein a Facebook post, following his F8 keynote address.
Why you should care
The introduction of the new feature comes on the heels of amajor privacy rowthat revealed how Facebook handles user privacy, collects data, and evenundermines the very fabric of democracies. At the F8 conference, Zuckerberg acknowledged the problems, and proposed real solutions to protect users’s browsing history.
However, this does not mean your internet footprint will disappear into thin air.
In a separate blog post, Facebook’s vice president and chief privacy officer, Erin Egan explained how the user activity data that Facebook has access to, will not be entirely wiped off from the platform. Instead, the data will be stored in a such a way, that it ensures that the interactions cannot be traced back to specific users.
If you clear your history or use the new setting, well remove identifying information so a history of thewebsitesand apps youve used wont be associated with your account, ” she said. This aggregated data protects users from a potential data breach, while leaving a backdoor open for relatively safe data harvesting, which Facebook claims is crucial for advertisers and app developers.
However, Zuckerberg warned users about the likelihood of clearing cookies adversely affecting their browsing experience on Facebook.”Your Facebook won’t be as good while it relearns your preferences,” he said. But, that seems like a safer bet than leaving your information out as bait, for data-hungry sharks.
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