Facebook will stop collecting web browser data for users who opt out
Facebook users will soon be able to opt out of the platform's browser data collection, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday.
Facebook gathers users' web browsing history — information that the company then uses to sell targeted ads — but an upcoming feature will allow users to delete the data and decline to allow Facebook to collect it again, reports Recode.
Facebook's data collection methods were heavily criticized after a third-party data firm, Cambridge Analytica, improperly used user data for political ads. The "clear history" feature is one of the first major updates to the platform since the scandal. The platform has made changes to its privacy policies, but has not yet allowed users to restrict the amount of data Facebook collects.
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At Tuesday's annual developer conference, Zuckerberg also announced that Facebook would be introducing a series of features to make the platform more conducive to dating. The features, intended to aid in "building real long-term relationships — not just hook-ups," will allow users who aren't friends on Facebook to contact one another through separate, dating-centric profiles. Read more at Recode.
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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
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