Yep, Facebook does track you when you’re not using it, but you can stop the spying, sort of

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

If you’ve ever thought Facebook is listening or watching you when you’re not on the social media site, you are right.

But now developers at the social media giant have rolled out a tool that may stop most of it, or at least tell you how Facebook is spying on users’ daily lives.

It's called off-Facebook activity.

Information is gathered by Facebook's Pixel and software development kit, INC reported.

And the information isn't just gathered from Facebook, apparently. The Washington Post says it's also Facebook-owned apps like Instagram and Messenger tracking you, too.

To see it, click the small triangle at the top right of Facebook and go to settings.

Then click “Your Facebook Information” on the left column, then select Off-Facebook Activity to manage the information the company gleans from your life. Here you can either manage it or clear the entire history from your account.

But the company also has a caveat. You may clear your current history, but new activity will be shared back to Facebook in the future. You may also be logged out of apps you have granted access to your Facebook account and you will not see a decrease of ads on your page.

You can click on each page and turn off the future activity share option.

The off-Facebook activity option came as the result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and a promise made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the Post reported.

And while the Facebook tool is an option, it won't keep other companies like Google from tracking and using your data, the Post warned.

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