If you don’t like the idea of Instagram tracking your activity across other apps and websites, you’ll be glad to hear that you can finally put a stop to it. Meta now allows you to change settings in Account Center that prevent third-party tracking commonly used to show you personalized ads on the platform.
You Can Finally Stop Instagram Tracking Your Online Activity
Meta has revamped the Accounts Center, allowing users to manage and prevent activity tracking across other apps and websites. Previously, you could only do this for Facebook accounts using a control called off-Facebook activity. Now, you can stop both platforms tracking your activity with this control, which is now called Activity Off-Meta Technologies.
AsMetaexplained in a statement, Activity Off-Meta Technologies allows you to manage how other businesses send to the platforms. you may review which businesses are sending information, what kind of activity they’re tracking, and block specific businesses from sending your data.
Alternatively, you can stop all third-party companies sending your data and clear any previous data Meta has access to. Practically speaking, this will stop Instagram from using your activity on third-party sites to show you personalized ads. For example, you’ll no longer see Instagram ads for a product you’ve just viewed on a website.
It only takes a matter of seconds to stop Instagram tracking your activity on other apps and websites. The settings are a little buried, though, so here’s a quick step-by-step to save you some time.
1. Open the Accounts Center on Instagram
The off-Meta technologies settings are tucked away in the Accounts Center. To open the Accounts Center on the Instagram app, follow these steps:
2. Access Off-Meta Technologies
From the Accounts Center, you’re able to access the off-Meta technologies settings by selectingYour information and permissions > Your activity off Meta technologies.
3. Select Disconnect Future Activity
From theYour information and permissionspage, you can stop Instagram tracking your activity on other apps and sites with the following steps:
Meta is legally obliged to provide information about how it uses your personal data, including what any changes to settings will do. The “What you should know” section mostly explains how long it will take for settings to take effect and what you’re able to expect to change:
There are a few things to keep in mind:
The only detail that might raise some privacy-conscious eyebrows is that Instagram will still receive activity data from apps and websites. Meta hasn’t elaborated on whether it still receives all or some of the same activity, but its wording does at least suggest any data it receives is anonymized.
If you would rather simply adjust the types of ads you see, you cantweak your Instagram ad interests.
Get Greater Control Over Instagram Tracking
The disconnect feature gives you more control over how Instagram and businesses exchange your personal data, finally providing a way to get rid of off-site tracking.
