Facebook is releasing a new feature called ‘Clear History,’ CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced during this year’s F8 conference.
The underlying purpose behind this new tool is that it makes the data Facebook gathers from users erasable — including cookies and browsing history.
The update allows users to see what websites and apps are sending information to the social network. Once it rolls out, users will be able to delete this information and turn off Facebook’s ability to store account information going forward.
“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,” said Zuckerberg in a recent Facebook post.
Zuckerberg does clarify that the social network might not work as smoothly after a wipe since it will take time for the system to relearn user preferences. That said, Zuckerberg also stated that “this is an example of the kind of control we think [users] should have.”
Even though this won’t make Facebook more tailored to specific users, this feature does add another element of control over how data is used on the platform. This tool is a positive step forward for the company given the controversy surrounding how Facebook has handled user data in the past.
The tool is still being developed and the company said in a blog post that it will take a few months before it is released to the public.
Source: Facebook
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