Facebook just recently discovered that apps that had been eliminated– either automatically after 90 days of inactivity or by hand by the user themselves– could still access some Facebook information. Facebooks post on the mistake utilizes the particular example of somebody using a fitness app “to welcome their pals from their home town to a workout, however we didnt recognize that a few of their friends had been inactive for numerous months.” The app could then collect more information without getting authorization from the user, merely because it was used before.
While there does not seem any destructive intent, bugs like this could still lead to security problems. Fortunately, Facebook repaired the problem immediately and discovered no evidence of leakages or mishandled information, but this is a great time to remove any apps linked to your Facebook account that you arent utilizing anymore, simply to be safe.
You should take a minute and upgrade a couple of security settings if youve ever signed in to a third-party app or site using your Facebook account.
How to unlink third-party apps from your Facebook account
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Facebook just recently discovered that apps that had been removed– either instantly after 90 days of inactivity or manually by the user themselves– might still access some Facebook information. Turning off Apps, Websites and Games will also get rid of all external apps from your account. Doing so also prevents you from sharing/liking content from other sites or platforms using embedded Facebook faster ways, but its the best method to stop other websites (and Facebook, for that matter) from tracking your account activity.
The “Apps and Websites” menu likewise lets you edit your accounts default interactions with third-party apps through Facebook.
Click the “Edit” button under the Apps, Websites and Games or Game and App Notifications panel to turn the features on/off. Turning off Apps, Websites and Games will also eliminate all external apps from your account. Doing so also prevents you from sharing/liking content from other websites or platforms using ingrained Facebook shortcuts, but its the very best way to stop other websites (and Facebook, for that matter) from tracking your account activity.
Open the Facebook app on iOS or Android, or head to Facebook.com in a web browser if youre on desktop.
Open the Settings menu, then scroll down and click/tap “Apps and Websites.” This opens a brand-new menu with a list of all third-party apps and websites that you log into with Facebook or have actually granted access to your Facebook account in some method.
Get rid of any apps you no longer desire linked to your Facebook account (note: be sure to back up and/or delete any data from these apps/websites you wish to conserve prior to unlinking it from your Facebook account.).
If you dont see any apps noted it suggests that youve either never ever logged into a third-party app utilizing Facebook, or that its been long enough that Facebook eliminated them from your represent you (Facebook starts instantly getting rid of apps from user accounts if they arent accessed for 90 days). Removed/unlinked apps may still have the data it formerly gathered on you, however wont be able to track you after being gotten rid of.
