Is your friend’s personal info yours to share? The answer is no. In this 60-second podcast, I’ll give you the scoop.
Don't have a Facebook account? Check if they have your phone number anyway
You know how to delete your browser search history, but what about things (or people) you look up on social media apps? Tap or click here to delete your search history on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You don’t need to share your phone number with Facebook to have a profile, but it might still be there if you created your account in the past. Not long ago, people commonly displayed their contact information in their profiles for all to see.
You may think you’re safe if you don’t use social media, but you’d be wrong. It turns out that people you know who shared their contacts with a Meta platform (such as Facebook) may have handed over your information. Here’s how to put a stop to it.
Here’s the backstory
When you create an account on a social media platform, you’ll typically be asked to share your contacts so you can more easily add them to your network. It makes things easy, but do you realize you’re sharing contact information for people who may not want to provide it?
You probably shared your address book if you have a Facebook, Instagram or Messenger account. And that means Meta has information on every single one of your contacts.
Even if you don’t have an account with Facebook, you probably know plenty of people who do. And they may have shared your information with Meta without knowing it. It’s a sneaky move on Meta’s part, but there’s a way you can take back your privacy.
RELATED: Your Facebook data is always at risk. If you’re ready to cut ties with the social media platform, you’ll want to download your stuff first. Tap or click here for instructions to import all your photos and videos from Facebook.
Opt out of Meta
If you go to this help page for non-Meta users, there’s a line buried under the heading, “How Non-Users can exercise their rights:” “Click here if you have a question about the rights you may have.”
That links to a contact removal tool, where you can ask Meta to delete your information from its address book database.
Here’s how to delete your contact information from Meta:
How to find and delete all your duplicate contacts in Gmail
In theory, our smartphones are incredible resources that should help us reach our full potential. Just look at all of the productivity apps: built-in timers, calendars and contact books promise to help us stay on top of our work. In reality, though, many of us don’t keep our digital lives very tidy.
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Plus, you’re being tracked. I reveal your phone’s hidden list that knows everywhere you go. Matt’s got slick tips on how to digitize your old address book. And if you’re worried about staying safe in cyberspace, Allie’s got three habits the pros know.