Is Facebook listening to your conversation?

If you are a Facebook user, you must have heard rumors that the social media giant eavesdrops on our conversations via the phone's microphone. Even though Facebook has denied this claim several times. Also, there is no concrete evidence to prove this. Nevertheless, the rumor is still quite disturbing.

It is astonishing that after discussing a topic only a few minutes ago, relevant ads start popping up. Well, Facebook has a very sophisticated algorithm. And as strange as it may sound, Facebook keeps track of its user's activity. It includes passwords and account information. However, you can stop it from accessing your personal data using Turbo VPN. 

Is Facebook Listening To Your Conversation?

How disturbing is it that you plan a ski trip with your friend, and within a few minutes, you are bombarded with various ski trip packages? But this is how Facebook works. It might not listen to your conversations via phone's microphone, specifically. But whatever you write, search or browse on your device is noted by Facebook. And it makes sure you see content relevant to your activity.

Facebook has denied this claim numerous times. However, Facebook does track its users but not via microphone. In reality, Facebook is tracking you in numerous ways without you knowing about it. Continue reading to find out the ways in which this social media platform tracks you.

Facebook's Algorithm

Facebook functions on a sophisticated algorithm that serves ads. Such a algorithm based on your extracted demographic and location data. The purpose of Facebook's artificial intelligence engine is to determine your intention. For instance, your interests from all the visual and textual data you provide. Once it determines your intent, it moves on to its second goal, i.e., finding services, products, and offers that might arouse your interest.

This 'recommender system' that Facebook uses is used by various social media websites and online shopping platforms. However, Facebook tracks more than just on app activity. To test whether it is listening to your conversations or not, give FB permission to access your microphone and then talk about a particular product. You won't find any relevant ads or services about it. Nevertheless, as soon as you enter any 'text input', be it on a browser search bar or you look at relevant posts. Then, you'll get relevant ads about it. So this is how the Facebook tracking and algorithm works. That is to say, you feed the system your interest, and it shows you relevant content. 

On App Tracking

You are already aware that every time you post something, leave a comment, like a post, tag someone, follow a hashtag, become part of a group, or post a check-in, all you feed Facebook data to find relevant ads for you. The social media giant claims that for better user experience. Also, it collects content, including your pictures, groups, payment information, like debit or credit card information, bills, and shipping addresses. Giving Facebook complete information to track your every move on the digital world.

Plug-ins

Facebook plug-in buttons are pretty handy when it comes to sharing data with your FB audience. Almost every blog posts website has a Facebook Twitter plugin. It makes sharing content on these websites easy. However, these buttons also serve another purpose for their Meta owner, i.e., to collect user data. Whenever you visit a website with a button installed on it, whether you use the button or not, it sends information to Facebook about your visit. The only requirement is that you are logged in to your Facebook account.

Login

Facebook is so good at tracking that even if you are not using the app or the platform on the browser, you keep feeding facebook information. Whenever you want to log in to a website or an app and avoid the hassle of making an account, you click an option, 'login with Facebook'. By doing so, you open the door for Facebook to track your off-app activity. When you use your Facebook account to sign in to a website to buy something, it collects data regarding your purchase or what kind of products you like. This gives it data to show you relevant ads.

Cookies

For a better user experience, Facebook stores cookies even when you are not using the app. In this way, even your off-app activity is tracked. In order to create a unique and personalized experience for you that is only relevant to your interests and needs. It leaves 'cookie data' on the devices to keep track of your activity and whereabouts. These cookies provide Meta information about the websites you visit, apps you use, pictures, or posts you like on other platforms, making it easier for Meta app to serve you with ads most relevant to your interest. 

Tracking Location

Facebook is brilliant when it comes to permissions, it does not lure you into permitting it to access your location since the app works perfectly fine even when you deny access to tracking your location. But for some features like in the Facebook marketplace, searching for jobs, to join a live video, a popup will appear urging you to "Turn on Location Services". In this way, Facebook indirectly tracks your location.

Data Breaches Concern On Social Media Platforms

In recent years as our dependency on social media has grown rapidly, so have the concerns about privacy breaches on social media platforms. Following are the common ways your privacy gets breached.

Data Mining

Every time you visit a website, like a post, comment, share, tag, or buy, you leave a data trail. Your privacy is risked whenever you make an account or enter your billing credentials during online shopping. The websites can view the data, and some even sell your personal information, location, etc., to third parties.

Account Hacking

Hackers earn by breaching people's privacy. If you do not have a strong password or your profile does not have two-factor authentication, then there is a high probability that your data is at risk. Once a hacker finds their way to your profile, email address, demographic data, websites you have logged in using your Facebook account, billing information, everything will be known to them.

How To Protect Your Cybersecurity?

Well, once on the internet, nothing is safe. Still, there are steps you can take to protect your cybersecurity.

Limit Facebook Permissions

Facebook is a social media platform. There is no need for you to give it access to apps that are irrelevant to the app's function, like call logs, regular messages, email, microphone, camera, calendar, and location. As if you allow the Facebook app to access other apps, it is only going to cause a privacy breach for you, and in case your account is hacked, the hacker will get access to all these apps as well. You may need to delete your Facebook account if you no longer use it.

No Log-in Policy

Whenever you use Facebook to log in to a website or app, you only feed Facebook more information to track you. To avoid this, have a no login policy to ensure that the billing and account information on a website or app is not linked to your Facebook account in any manner.

Turn Off-Facebook Activity

You can't completely control what Facebook stores and tracks, but FB offers a feature where you can view and manage data it receives from third-party websites and apps.

1. On the upper right corner of the screen, click on the triangle icon

2. Select "Settings & Privacy"

3. Open "Settings"

4. Select "Your Facebook Information"

5. Click on "Off-Facebook Activity"

Use a VPN

For your safety, you should use Facebook on the browser rather than on the app. And prefer using it on 'Incognito mode' along with a VPN. This will limit Facebook from seeing your IP address. Also, using a Turbo VPN will ensure that even your browsing history is not accessible to Facebook. It can still track your activity on app activity but not your location. So it's like you are anonymous.

Conclusion

A privacy breach is a significant concern for everyone, as everyone wants their personal information to remain personal. These days cybersecurity is always at risk, especially if you are not using the right tools. To enjoy safe browsing, you can use cybersecurity tools like subscribing to a Turbo VPN. However, additional steps like logging out of Facebook must be taken to ensure your off-Facebook activities like browsing habits are not traced. Such measures will make tracking your profile difficult for Facebook.

With Turbo VPN, you could unblock all social media platforms and streaming services without geo-blocking restrictions. For instance, even if you are outside of the U.S., you can still access Hulu and Netflix US. Turbo VPN is available on Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and more. Also, you could use Turbo VPN on over 5 devices at the same time by subscribing only one account. It's about time to enjoy absolute internet freedom with Turbo VPN!