7 points about what personal data is collected by Facebook

Today Facebook has about 1.32 billion users daily active visitors. As we speak, Facebook is collecting and analyzing data about millions of user interactions every second  about our friends, our interests, and our everyday behavior. Many of us knowingly/unknowingly share information on social media, this post will make you aware of what information is being collected.

1. Content/Information about you: This includes details on the content you have created/shared, and message or communicate with others ex. location of a photo or the date a file was created. Also, information regarding the types of content you view or engage with or the frequency and duration of the activities are also collected.
   • Photos you’ve hidden on your Timeline are still visible to the audience they’re shared with other places on Facebook, such as in News Feed and search.
   • Any information you share with a public audience, as well as information in your Public Profile or content you share on a Facebook Page or another public forum is public. Public information is available to anyone and can be seen or accessed through online search engines, APIs, and offline media, etc.,
   • When you comment on the post of your Facebook friends or like their content, that person decides the audience who can see your comment or like.
2. Content/Information about you shared by others: The same case is applicable to information what others share about you ex.information about you, such as when they share a photo of you, send a message to you, or upload, sync or import your contact information.
3. Details on your Networks/Connections: Your information about the people and groups you are connected to and how you interact with them, ex.people you communicate with the most or the groups you like to share with.
4. Information about payments: If you purchase or make financial transactions on Facebook, information about the purchase or transaction is collected. This includes your payment information, such as your credit or debit card number and other card information, and other account and authentication information, as well as billing, shipping, and contact details.
5. Device Information: Information about the computers, phones, or other devices where you install or access Facebook, depending on the permissions you’ve granted.Examples :
   • Attributes such as the operating system, hardware version, device settings, file and software names, and types, battery and signal strength, and device identifiers.
   • Device locations, including specific geographic locations, such as through GPS, Bluetooth, or WiFi signals.
   • Connection information such as the name of your mobile operator or ISP, browser type, language and time zone, mobile phone number, and IP address.
6. Information from other websites and apps: Information is also collected when you visit or use third-party websites and apps that use Facebook Services ( Like button or Facebook login or use Facebook measurement and advertising services).
7. Information from third-party partners: Facebook does collect information about you and your activities on and off Facebook from third-party partners, such as information from a partner when offering services jointly or from an advertiser about the experiences or interactions with them.

In spite of personal data being shared, what do you think is the prime motive of sharing/post content on Facebook. There is an interesting survey here. Do check out! 🙂 If you like this post, please share it.If you’ve any comments, please post it in the comments section. In the next post, we will check how to adjust privacy settings.

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