Facebook lets users clear advertising data held by third-party sites

Facebook is allowing users to clear the data that third-party websites and apps share with Facebook in order to serve ads.

The tool, Off-Facebook Activity, allows Facebook users to bring up a list of everyone sending data to the social network giant, then tap on a specific app or website to learn what data is being shared.

A user can then either block the app or site from sharing data, or block all of the services in one go. 

However, Facebook is not deleting data that a third party might have collected about your online browsing behaviour. It is removing the link between that data and the user’s personal information on Facebook.

In practice, it will mean a user will be immediately logged out of any website or app which they used with a Facebook login.

It is the latest move from Facebook to become more transparent about how its collects and uses data in the way of last year’s Cambridge Analytica scandal. Last month the US Federal Trade Commission criticised the social media giant's "deceptive" privacy settings and for "unreasonable" conduct regarding its relationship with third-party app developers.

It follows founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s announcment last year that Facebook would create a "clear history" feature.

But Jasmine Enber, social media analyst at eMarketer, criticised Facebook’s decision to put the onus on consumers for monitoring their user privacy. 

She said: "It takes a proactive step for consumers to go into their Facebook settings and turn on the feature. As we’ve seen in the past, there is a disconnect between people who say they care about privacy and those who actually do something about it. If not enough people use the tool, it’s unlikely that it will have a material impact on Facebook’s bottom line." 

Off-Facebook Activity is rolling out first in Ireland, South Korea and Spain and will expand to more countries "in the coming months, Facebook added.