The new feature not only allows Facebook users to save recently visited sites in one place, but is also a way for Meta to improve targeted advertising.
“Keep in mind that when link history is enabled, we may use this information to improve your ads,” the company says in a support article spotted by Gizmodo.
Instagram has a similar link tracking feature. And while it’s not enabled by default, many users can turn it on without thinking about advertising, since Meta positions it primarily as a way to save links.
The good news is that you can still check if you’re using the feature and disable it. To do this, you need to open the link in the program and click the menu in the built-in browser and disable the link history – the process is identical in Facebook and Instagram. (By the way, about built-in browsers: In 2022, privacy researcher Felix Krause discovered that Meta injects special “keyboard” JavaScript into the website you visit through the app’s built-in browser, allowing the company to monitor everything you type and click, ).
Both programs delete your entire link history — though Meta says it can take up to 90 days to “complete the deletion process,” so you’ll still see pre-targeted ads for a while.
At the same time, in the EU Meta can generally remove ads for Facebook and Instagram users — albeit for a hefty monthly fee (around €10 per month). In this way, the company plans to bypass European privacy rules.
