How I Stopped Facebook from Tracking Me (Without Deleting My Account)

Learn how I stopped Facebook from tracking me without deleting my account by adjusting simple privacy settings and habits.

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I’ve been using Facebook for over a decade, but I don’t spend much time on it anymore. Even though I’m not ready to delete my account, I wanted to take control of my privacy. I realized that Facebook collects a lot of data, even when I’m not actively using it. So, I decided to make some changes to reduce what it knows about me. By adjusting a few key settings, I stopped Facebook from tracking me as much as before. Now, I can keep my account without worrying about unnecessary data collection. In this guide, I’ll share the simple steps I took to limit Facebook’s tracking while still using my account.

How I Stopped Facebook from Tracking My Location

I don’t like the idea of Facebook tracking my location all the time. It feels intrusive, so I made a habit of turning it off whenever I don’t need it. Unless I’m using GPS, there’s no reason for Facebook to know where I am.

On Android, you can disable location by pulling down the Quick Menu and turning it off. For iPhone users, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and toggle it off. Both platforms also allow you to control when apps can access your location, so you can enable it only when necessary. Most Android apps will ask for location permission when you first open them, allowing you to choose how they use it.

How to Take Control of Facebook’s Ad Targeting

I really dislike how Facebook targets me with ads. Just because I mentioned a product once doesn’t mean I should be bombarded with ads about it. While advertising helps keep the platform free, I think there’s a better way to handle it. Thankfully, you can control how Facebook targets ads at you by adjusting a few settings.

To do this, go to Settings & Privacy > Privacy Center > Common Privacy Settings. From there, head to Ads Preferences in the Accounts Center. Under the Manage Info tab, you’ll see several options to adjust:

Disable ads shown outside of Meta and control the information used to show ads.
Activity information from ad partners: Set to Not using this information.
Ads from ad partners: Choose Not showing you ads from ad partners.
Ads about Meta: Turn this off too.

That’s just the beginning, though. Facebook also collects ad data from other sources, which can be cleared by following these steps:

In the Ad Preferences menu, select More Details under “Does Meta sell my information?”
Click Review your activity off Meta technologies, then Clear previous activity. You’ll need to enter your password.
Once cleared, go back and select Manage Future Activity and set it to Disconnect future activity. This way, you won’t have to repeat the process later.

After clearing activity, you might notice advertisers you’ve interacted with in the past, even if you never bought anything. It’s a good idea to review this to make sure only relevant ads are targeted at you.

How to Reduce Data Exposure by Disconnecting Linked Apps

Another way Facebook collects data is through linked apps and websites. Many services, like Spotify, allow you to log in with your Facebook account, making things more convenient—but at the cost of your personal data.

To disconnect linked apps and reduce data exposure, follow these steps:

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
On the left side, under Your Activity, select Apps and Websites.
Under Preferences, disable Apps, Websites, and Games.

This prevents any new apps from linking to your Facebook account and stops data sharing with existing ones. Plus, if you ever try to log in to a site using Facebook, this setting blocks it, helping you avoid unnecessary data exposure.

How to Adjust Privacy Settings to Control Who Sees Your Information

To protect my privacy, I prefer to keep my Facebook profile private. I don’t use it to make friends or advertise myself—I mainly use it to stay connected with family, and I rarely post. To adjust these privacy settings, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > How People Find and Contact You.

Here are the key options you should focus on:

Who can send you friend requests?
Who can see your friends list?
People with your email address
People with your phone number
Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile? (Disable it by toggling the button next to it.)

For each of these, I set them to Friends, Friends of Friends, or No one, depending on my preferences. I prefer to keep my phone number and email private to avoid Facebook suggesting people I might know based on that information.

Habits I’ve Adopted to Prevent Facebook from Collecting My Data

To further prevent Facebook from collecting your data, you can adopt a few simple habits:

Delete personal info from your profile, like work history, education and other details.
Use Incognito Mode or a similar feature in your browser to prevent your browsing history from being tracked.
Remove the Facebook app from your devices if you don’t need it.

Even while uninstalling the app can seem drastic, consider how frequently you actually use Facebook. I don’t even have Messenger on my phone, so I just use it on my computer. You can text or call me if you need to get in touch.

You can drastically decrease the amount of data Facebook gathers without completely deactivating your account by implementing these minor adjustments. Making changes to your Facebook usage, such as refraining from disclosing personal information, is also beneficial.

FAQ

1. Can I stop Facebook from tracking my location without deleting my account?
Yes, you can prevent Facebook from tracking your location by turning off location services in your phone’s settings. You can also adjust your privacy settings to limit when Facebook can access your location.

2. How do I stop Facebook from targeting me with personalized ads?
You can control Facebook’s ad targeting by going to your Ads Preferences in the Accounts Center. From there, you can disable ads shown outside of Meta, manage the information used to show ads, and clear past activity to reduce personalized targeting.

3. How can I disconnect apps linked to my Facebook account?
To disconnect linked apps, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites. Under Preferences, disable Apps, Websites, and Games to prevent new apps from connecting and sharing your data.

4. Can I make my Facebook profile completely private?
Yes, you can adjust your privacy settings to control who can send you friend requests, see your friends list, or contact you. You can also disable search engines from linking to your Facebook profile.

5. What habits can I adopt to prevent Facebook from collecting my data?
You can delete personal information from your profile, use Incognito Mode to prevent tracking, and remove the Facebook app from your devices. These habits can significantly reduce the data Facebook collects without deleting your account.

Priya Bhadaurja3 weeks ago

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