Did you know your every “like,” comment, friend request is being tracked by the folks over at Facebook? And it’s not only what you do on Facebook that is monitored, but all of your Internet activity.
Through special plug-ins such as Facebook Connect, Facebook sets up a cookie on any page that has a “like” or “share” option, says Business Insider. This allows Facebook to collect personal data, including your browsing history. But there are ways to stop Facebook from spying on you, reports the magazine. Companies such as Abine and Ghostery have created tools that allow users to block Facebook social plug-ins, cookies and other trackers.
Business Insider lists tools to use to stop the tracking:
• Do Not Track Plus (DNT+) — A browser add-on that will identify and block trackers. Abine’s DNT+ tool is a free add-on that monitors, tracks, and allows users to block any trackers and requests that may be following their Internet activity.
• Ghostery — Similar to DNT+ but this add-on is also available for Opera. Evidon’s Ghostery is a browser add-on that protects consumer online privacy. It lets them to block all or specific trackers as well as third parties. Ghostery is free to download.
• Disconnect and Collusion for Chrome — Only available for Chrome. It stops third parties and search engines from tracking your web activity.
• Collusion for Chrome— A site that allows users to see which third parties are tracking them.
Even without these tools, you can take better control on your online privacy by adjusting your browser settings. Here’s how, according to Business Insider.
• Firefox: Go to Tools, then Options and next Privacy. Click the box that says, “Tell websites I do not want to be tracked.” Then set it to “Never save your history” and remove cookies frequently.
• Chrome: Select Preferences, then Settings, Advanced Settings, Privacy, and finally Content Settings. Click “Block Third Party Cookies and Site Data.”
• Safari: Go to Preferences, then Security, Accept Cookies and select “Never.”
• Internet Explorer 10: Default to a “Do Not Track” position.
