If you are one of the many who are concerned about the level of access to your information that Meta has, we have good news for you. Mark Zuckerberg’s company now allows unlink your Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accountsso that your data is not shared between the platforms.
The decision responds to the need to comply with the new Digital Markets Law (DMA), which will come into force from the beginning of March. In this way, those in Menlo Park are changing the operation of their services to comply with regulations and avoid new clashes with regulators.
As you may have already noticed, this new feature to unlink Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts will not be available worldwide. It will only work for users of the aforementioned social networks in the countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
Let us remember that Meta allows you to link Facebook and Instagram profiles through your Account Center, in order to collect information and cross-link it for different purposes. The most important: show you personalized ads based on your activity. Although it is not limited to that. This method also serves to show you publications that may interest you based on your interactions in both applications, or to more easily share content between one social network and the other.
Unlinking your Facebook and Instagram accounts will not stop Meta from continuing to analyze your habits in their apps. However, it will force you to manage the data independently. Thus, if you disconnect your profiles on social networks, it will no longer be able to take advantage of the content you see on Facebook to show you ads on Instagram, or vice versa. The latter, just to mention one example, of course.
The change that Meta is applying so that European users can unlink their Facebook, Instagram and Messenger profiles will bring certain limitations. These will especially impact services such as Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Gaming, according to the Californian firm.
Unlinking Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts will bring limitations
In the case of Messenger, users will be able to disconnect their Facebook profile and use it as a standalone messaging app. As Meta explains, “core services” such as chats and audio and video calls will continue to be available. Of course, users will have to create a new account exclusive to this app.
If we talk about Marketplace, users will also be able to unlink their Facebook account and continue using it. Those who choose this option will maintain the ability to buy and sell products, as well as view the catalog of offers from other users. The big difference here is that if a Facebook profile is not used, contact with a buyer or seller must be made by email and not by Messenger.
In FacebookGaming something similar will happen; It can continue to be used without having a connected profile. In this case, unlinking a Facebook account will limit the availability of titles, since some will only be playable in single player. Proposals with multiplayer and in-app purchases will require an account.
Be careful, as we already said before, unlinking your Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger accounts will not prevent Meta from using your information to show you ads or personalized post recommendations. What you will no longer be able to do is exchange data between one platform and another. It is a good step in favor of privacy, although not a definitive solution.
In addition, Zuckerberg’s people have remembered that those who do not want to see more advertisements on their social networks have to pay. Removing ads on Facebook and Instagram costs 9.99 euros per month, or 12.99 euros if you subscribe from Android/iPhone. Starting in March, meanwhile, the company will begin charging an additional 6 euros per month for each extra profile linked from its Account Center. It will be 8 euros per month if the latter is done from mobile devices.