Facebook’s terms of service and privacy policies reveal how the platform uses your data. It tracks your location, uses your content to train AI, and targets you with personalized ads. These practices go beyond what many users expect. Understanding Things You’ve Agreed to by Using Facebook is essential for protecting your privacy and digital footprint.
Take control now. Regularly check Facebook’s privacy settings. Understand how your data is used. This helps you protect your information and make informed decisions about what you share. Don’t let Facebook compromise your privacy—be aware of how they use your data for your online safety.
By using Facebook, you automatically agree to several terms that might surprise you. Here’s a breakdown of five key things you may not have realized you agreed to.
Location Tracking—Even Without GPS
Facebook can track your location even if you turn off your phone’s GPS – one of the things you’ve agreed to by using Facebook. As reported by The Hill, the platform uses alternative methods like your IP address, Wi-Fi connections, and Bluetooth signals to gather your location data. So, even when GPS is disabled, if you’re logged in, Facebook can still monitor where you are for advertising and engagement purposes
Facebook Can Use Your Content as It Sees Fit
When you post on Facebook, you “own” your content, but Facebook has broad rights over it. According to the terms, Facebook gets a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use your photos, videos, and updates. It can modify, sublicense, or transfer these rights to others.
The terms say:
“When you share, post, or upload content covered by intellectual property rights, you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, and worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate, and create derivative works of your content (consistent with your privacy and application settings).”
Your privacy settings limit how Facebook uses your content publicly.
Facebook Can Use Your Data to Train Its AI
When you sign up for Facebook, you unknowingly allow the platform to use your public posts to train its AI models. This means Facebook can analyze your interactions, preferences, and publicly shared content to improve features like facial recognition and content recommendations, this is one of the things you’ve agreed to by using Facebook
Facebook’s terms give it permission to use your data for AI development, both internally and in external partnerships.
By default, you permit Meta to use your data to train its generative AI. However, users in regions like the EU can opt out of having their data used for AI training. To do this, visit Facebook’s Help Center, add your email address, and explain how the data usage affects you.
If you cannot opt out, adjust your post visibility settings to “Friends Only” to limit data use. Be aware that your public comments on pages and groups may still be used for AI training.
Deleted Content Isn’t Fully Erased
When you delete a post, photo, or video on Facebook, it’s not completely removed. According to Facebook’s terms, deleted content may remain in backup systems for up to 90 days, though it won’t be visible to other users. Also, messages may still be visible to recipients unless they delete them too.
Due to caching practices, some content may remain accessible for a short period even after deletion.
Facebook’s data retention policies also allow it to keep information for legal, security, advertising, and analytics reasons. In some cases, data may be stored beyond the 90-day period if required by law.
Facebook Uses Your Data for Targeted Ads, Across the Web
Facebook uses your personal data to show targeted ads, not just on the platform but on other websites too. The platform tracks your activities, including likes and shares, to serve ads tailored to your interests.
These ads can appear on Facebook and other websites, like e-commerce and news sites. Your data helps Facebook’s partners reach you across the web.
By using Facebook, you give up a significant amount of control over your content and data. It’s a good idea to regularly check your privacy settings and review Facebook’s terms to manage how your information is used. While other social platforms do the same, Facebook’s extensive data collection makes its policies particularly impactful.