Earlier this week, we reported on how Facebook was tracking user data through cookies that persisted even after you logged out. It now appears that Facebook is fixing a bug associated with one of those cookies, so it is tracking less user behaviour — but it hasn’t stopped that tracking altogether, and it isn’t likely to.
Australian researcher Nik Cubrilovic, who first revealed the issue, notes in his most recent blog post that Facebook says it has altered a bug which meant that one cookie identifying users was not deleted when users log out. That’s an improvement, but Facebook hasn’t entirely changed its approach, and Cubrilovic notes that for maximum privacy, you’ll still need to perform some tasks yourself:
I would still recommend that users clear cookies or use a separate browser, though. I believe Facebook when they describe what these cookies are used for, but that is not a reason to be complacent on privacy issues and to take initiative in remaining safe.
Hit his post for a fuller explanation of what has changed. The bottom line? It’s still safest to assume anything you do on Facebook is in the public domain, and if you don’t want Facebook following at least some of what you get up to away from the site itself, you’ll want to clear cookies or access Facebook through a different browser.
Facebook Fixes Logout Issue, Explains Cookies [Nik Cubrilovic]
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