If you can’t live without knowing whether you should have been born Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora or Belle, you can always allow the permission but then remove it once you have your answer. Do note, however, that deleting the app permissions does not stop them holding the data they already hold on you, and you’ll have to contact the developer direct for more information on that. So keep in mind that if you’re at all worried about this, sometimes it’s better not to click in the first place. Also note that Facebook has also confirmed that it can track you even if you don’t have an account. “When you visit a site or app that uses our services, we receive information even if you’re logged out or don’t have a Facebook account. This is because other apps and sites don’t know who is using Facebook,” said Facebook’s product management director, David Baser. That data includes IP addresses, browser and operating system information, the address of the website or app, cookies and device identifiers, and is used to enhance the company’s service and security.
How to log out of quizzes, tests and other Facebook apps
There are two ways to remove your authorisation for third-party apps to access your data.
Log into your Facebook account in a browserTap the question mark icon at the top right of the window and choose Privacy Check-upTap Next to bypass the first step, then examine the list of apps that have access to your profileTap the X next to any apps you want to de-authoriseClick Next, then Finish
Alternatively:
Log into your Facebook account in a browserTap the down triangle at the top right of the window and choose SettingsSelect Apps from the menu to the leftAt the top of the page you’ll be presented with a list of apps you’re logged into via Facebook. Hover over any of these and tap the X to delete
Stop your friends sharing your data on Facebook
It’s not just you that is able to allow apps to see your data. Your friends who are able to see your data also take it with them to improve the user experience with third-party apps. Fortunately you can stop this, too.
Log into your Facebook account in a browserTap the down triangle at the top right of the window and choose SettingsSelect Apps from the menu to the leftSelect Edit under ‘Apps others use’Deselect any boxes for information you don’t want to be shared via your friends’ accountsClick Save
The steps we’ve listed above are also available through the Facebook mobile apps, but to access them you’ll need to tap the three lines icon and select Account Settings. Read next: How to secure Facebook & Most common Facebook scams Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
