How much information does Facebook keep about you and what does it do with the data?
Find out how the social network gathers data on its users and what it does with this vital info
It's the social media giant that knows more about you than your mother and your lover.
But should we be comfortable letting Facebook find out so much about our lives?
We wanted to know what happens if you've had enough of Facebook and decide to close your account.
Where does all the information go?
Facebook says that when you delete information like a photo or comment from of your account, then it will be deleted off their servers as well.
You can also request a copy of the data that Facebook keeps either by requesting it from the Facebook site, emailing them or sending them a letter.
However, we heard a different story from a privacy activist who has brought two cases against Facebook.
Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy advocate who runs the website , requested his own person data and claimed that some of it was still present on Facebook's servers, even though it was supposed to have disappeared.
He said: “I got a copy of some of my data on their servers. Three hundred of the 1,200 pages were data I previously deleted from Facebook. They still kept it.”
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We also wanted to find out out how Facebook gathers its data.
To see how much information Facebook takes and what they use it for, I created a brand new account with a different name and birthday. I even created a new email.
What happened next was a little unsettling.
All of the friends that Facebook suggested were extended family, people I had gone to school with and people who knew my parents.
How did Facebook get this information?
Its explains that they collect information from the device that you use to access them.
It reads: “We collect information from or about the computers, phones or other devices where you install or access our Services, depending on the permissions you granted.”
When Facebook say “granted”, what it means is that you had to agree to this policy in order to create a profile.
Furthermore, Facebook explains that this information is gathered through the use of cookies, which is the way we navigate through the internet.
: “We use cookies if you have a Facebook account, use the Facebook services including our website and apps (whether or not you are registered or logged in).”
If this is the case, then what is the problem?
state that the user needs to unambiguously consent to any use of its data.
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But if someone is not a registered user then how can they consent to Facebook to use any data?
A Facebook spokesperson maintained that they do comply with the current EU data protection laws and that their policies are easy for people to access.
They said: “Facebook has invested a huge amount of time and resources to ensure that people understand what information we collect, and the choices and controls they have over how it is used and shared. Over recent years we’ve simplified our tools and policies and built teams of people who focus on privacy – from engineers to designers.
"Facebook respects all relevant European data protection laws, and we support consistent data protection regulation across Europe."
Essentially, Facebook gains people’s consent by showing them a cookie banner.
Once you click on this and move through the site, you've given your consent for Facebook to use their data and load cookies on the site.
This is totally in line with EU law.
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