Technology
Facebook has a HIDDEN map of all your real-life movements – find it here
FACEBOOK is tracking your whereabouts – and you probably didn’t even realise it.
The US social media giant keeps a log of your phone’s GPS coordinates and uploads it to your “Location History” buried in your settings.
Facebook keeps a log of the places you visit in your ‘Location History’
What is Facebook Location History?
Location History is a controversial daily log of where you’ve been logged by Facebook’s iOS and Android’s apps.
The data is stored on a digital map that can be viewed through your Facebook settings.
It shows what shops and other businesses Facebook believes you have visited, as well as periods where you’re thought to have been “on the move”.
You can search for specific dates to see what location data Facebook has logged on any given day.
The setting can be turned off through Facebook’s website and apps and you have the option to delete your Location History if you wish.
Among other things, Facebook uses your GPS coordinates to better tailor the ads that it shows you.
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The company says on its website: “To help explore what’s around you, Location History allows Facebook to build a history of precise locations received through Location Services on your mobile devices.
“Only you can see this information, and you can delete it by viewing your Location History on your mobile device or on your computer.”
Similar unsettling location logs are kept by companies such as Google using data collected through Google Maps and its Android operating system.
How to view you location history and turn it on or off
Your Location History is buried deep within your settings. You can access it through Facebook’s Android or iOS apps, or via your desktop browser.
On iOS, tap the three horizontal lines on the bottom right of Facebook. Tap Settings & privacy > Privacy Shortcuts > Manage your location settings.
You can turn your Location history on or off by tapping the blue slider.
To view and explore your Location history, tap View your Location history. You may be asked to re-enter your account password.
On Android, tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
Next, tap Settings & privacy > Privacy Shortcuts > Manage your location settings > Location history.
You can turn your Location history on or off by tapping the blue slider.
To view and explore your Location history, tap View your Location history. You may be asked to re-enter your account password.
How to delete your location history
It’s possible to delete your location history so that Facebook no longer stores past data on your whereabouts.
To do that, follow the steps above to view your location history.
On iOS, tap “more” in the top right and then choose Delete this day or Delete all Location history.
Follow the steps to confirm that you would like to delete your Location history by tapping Delete this day or Delete all Location history again.
On Android, tap “more” in the top right and then choose Delete this day or Delete all Location history, then tap OK.
In other news, your Facebook profile has a hidden feature that can reveal if you’re being targeted by hackers.
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