Facebook Tracking Your Web History? Time to Switch Your Browser

The latest web extension from Firefox offers you a gateway to protect Facebook from accessing third-party data.

Many people have raised the need to #deletefacebook recently. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Facebook’s ongoing user data controversy has raised alarm bells for everyone, as people are now worried about their data and its constant monitoring. The social networking platform has access to your data, which includes photos, text and search history as well. This has sparked the #deletefacebook movement, where many people have quit the platform due to privacy concerns.

Too caught up to read? Listen to the story:

Luckily, Mozilla has chipped in with a tool to make sure you don’t have to quit Facebook after all. The non-profit entity has reached out to the world with its web plugin that ensures Facebook doesn’t grab hold of everything that you do on the internet.

What’s this unique feature called, how can it protect you from devious exercises, and how can you get it? Here’s everything that’s worth knowing.

Firefox has created a web browser extension called Facebook Container, which can be downloaded to Firefox (install it just in case you haven’t). Now, the real question is – what can this extension do for the safety of your data?

This extension isolates your Facebook identity into a separate container that makes it harder for Facebook to track your visits to other websites with third-party cookies.

<a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container/">Firefox</a>&nbsp;

Firefox is recognised by security experts as one of the safer web browsers in the market that doesn’t make its money off your web history. Now that I’ve got your attention on the subject, here are more details about what the ‘Container’ can do for you. Before that, here’s how you can install this feature to the Firefox browser. And yes, it’s free.

How to Install Facebook Container:

• Go to the Firefox Add On section
• Search for Facebook Container extension
• You’ll see a blue box which says Add to Facebook, click on that
• The Container extension is added to your Firefox browser

The feature though, will only work for Firefox users. So it’s a pretty smart move from Mozilla to actually step-up its data-privacy compliant feature with everything that’s happened recently.

Facebook Container could make your lives easier on social media. (Photo Courtesy: Firefox screen grab)

As you can see in the image above, the Container extension seeks your permission to access data for all websites, monitor the usage of extension and access browser tabs. But the Container feature also claims to delete your Facebook cookies and logs you out of Facebook.

What Else Should I Know

Where the feature helps your internet privacy: When you click on a non-Facebook link or navigate to a non-Facebook website in the URL bar. Unlike what happens on Chrome or Safari, the Firefox browser blocks Facebook’s access to third-party information, something that Cambridge Analytica thrived on.

This blue container means third-party data of user through Facebook is safe. (Photo Courtesy: Firefox)

Due to this extension, users won’t be able to use applications that they log into by inter-linking with Facebook. Most of your activities outside Facebook territory are protected, while everything within its network aren’t.

Mozilla claims that the only information they receive is the number of times the extension is installed or removed by the user. Most of our web lifestyle is dependent on Google and its services, forcing us to stick to Chrome. Instances that have occured in the past few weeks have ensured that it’s time to prioritise your privacy over convenience.