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Facebook Promises Privacy Tool 'Clear History' (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

Facebook is introducing a new privacy tool called "clear history," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday with a personal Facebook post. From a report: The tool will allow you to see information about the apps and websites you've interacted with, and you'll be able to clear this information from your account. The news came less within hours of the kickoff keynote at on Facebook's F8 developer conference, which is being held in San Jose. The mostly-annual conference began as a time for Facebook to announce major initiatives, such as its technology to connect user's accounts with websites around the web, as well as revamped designs for user's profile pages. In a statement, Zuckerberg said, "In your web browser, you have a simple way to clear your cookies and history. The idea is a lot of sites need cookies to work, but you should still be able to flush your history whenever you want. We're building a version of this for Facebook too. It will be a simple control to clear your browsing history on Facebook -- what you've clicked on, websites you've visited, and so on."

9 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Does anyone actually believe this is real? by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Know how every elevator has 'Door Close' button? That doesn't seem to actually be connected to anything, and therefore does nothing? That's what I think this will be: it'll clear what you and others can see, but not a single byte of what Facebook stores.

    1. Re:Does anyone actually believe this is real? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      You have to keep pressing the button until the door closes.

    2. Re:Does anyone actually believe this is real? by mea_culpa · · Score: 2

      The button does serve a purpose when the fire key is inserted.

  2. nope by Virtucon · · Score: 2

    It doesn't go far enough. Facebook, Intellius et al. need to be prohibited from collecting any data from anyone without an opt-in and controls as to what
    they can collect and when.

    Sorry, fuck off Zuck

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
  3. Will a tracking cookie be needed... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2

    ... in order for Facebook to track who does not want to be tracked?

  4. Re:It'll be a simple tool to clear your history by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Also: what if I don't have a FB account? Will I be required to register in order to remove the browsing history they've collected?

    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  5. Re:All cookies??? by mnemotronic · · Score: 2

    ... read the fucking summary ...

    Good suggestion

    Mark Zuckerberg:

    Today at our F8 conference I'm going to discuss a new privacy control we're building called "Clear History".

    In your web browser, you have a simple way to clear your cookies and history. The idea is a lot of sites need cookies to work, but you should still be able to flush your history whenever you want. We're building a version of this for Facebook too. It will be a simple control to clear your browsing history on Facebook -- what you've clicked on, websites you've visited, and so on.

    We're starting with something a lot of people have asked about recently: the information we see from websites and apps that use Facebook's ads and analytics tools.

    Once we roll out this update, you'll be able to see information about the apps and websites you've interacted with, and you'll be able to clear this information from your account. You'll even be able to turn off having this information stored with your account.

    To be clear, when you clear your cookies in your browser, it can make parts of your experience worse. You may have to sign back in to every website, and you may have to reconfigure things. The same will be true here. Your Facebook won't be as good while it relearns your preferences.

    But after going through our systems, this is an example of the kind of control we think you should have. It's something privacy advocates have been asking for -- and we will work with them to make sure we get it right.

    One thing I learned from my experience testifying in Congress is that I didn't have clear enough answers to some of the questions about data. We're working to make sure these controls are clear, and we will have more to come soon.

    --
    The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
  6. Re:It'll be a simple tool to clear your history by taustin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Of course it will do something. It will set the "Do not admit we track this any more" flag.

  7. Re:It'll be a simple tool to clear your history by Joce640k · · Score: 2

    How do we know it does anything? Watch this, reading this post will clear your Facebook history. "HISTORY CLEARED SUCCESSFULLY."

    You know that Europe is passing big new laws to make that illegal, right? If they do that and some employee blows a whistle on them then they're in deep trouble.

    Meanwhile, the USA just watches. Where are their laws?

    --
    No sig today...