Even after iOS 14.5 update, Facebook is secretly tracking your iPhone, and here is how to stop it
Facebook vs iOSWhy Facebook is secretly tracking your iPhone? This is not a good sign. Your iPhone settings allow you to tell Facebook that you do not want your location to be tracked. It is clear and unequivocal. So why, if you tell Facebook to “never” access your location, is the data collection giant doing exactly that?
Apple’s newly introduced iOS 14.5 is only a few weeks old and the data already suggests that it delivered the expected blow against Facebook. Without surprise, most users choose not to be tracked.
Millions of you have seen through the blatant warnings that free Facebook apps will no longer be free unless we give up our right to privacy.
However, there is a problem. The idea that Facebook cannot collect data about a user once the transparency of the application’s tracking is set as preferred may be incorrect. Reports indicate that Facebook can still record certain data about its users, mainly through their activities. And this is a form of data collection that Apple’s app tracking transparency can’t handle. However, the good news is that it can be controlled and stopped.
How does this happen?
For instance, let us discuss your iPhone photos. When uploaded to Facebook, can have geotags. Those can let Facebook, know your location. Without you knowing, Facebook is secretly tracking your iPhone. Also, it allows anyone to know your information. Again, if you’ve been tagged with a photo on Facebook and that image is geotagged, the social media company will automatically save it as your location at that time, as HotHardware pointed out in its report.
How to stop Facebook from tracking you
Available countermeasures for this include disabling geolocation on both Android and iOS. So if you post an image to Facebook, there is no geolocation tag attached. Also, you can say people not to tag you in images. You can adjust it with Facebook settings. With this, you will have to manually approve all tags to appear on your timeline and people will also not be able to tag you unless you allow it. You can go back to older posts and also untag yourself if you want, especially those with location tags.
You cannot completely stop a data exchange with Facebook unless you completely stop using the application. Or use a VPN when you do. If you don’t use a VPN, Facebook can collect the IP address of the device, at a minimum, and use it to fix its approximate location. And it’s not just Facebook doing this, almost all online services collect at least a small amount of data from you when you use them. For this, you can disable geolocation on your device. Keep doing changes and prevent Facebook from tracking your iPhone and sharing your information even to others.