Despite its recent announcements on user privacy and data protection, Facebook is yet to underline that it continues gathering information on accounts, even after deactivation.
Facebook collects information linked to deactivated accounts, ranging from advertisers and recent purchases to website registrations and streaming subscriptions. When people deactivate their accounts, their profile may disappear from the view of other users, but it continues to exist on Facebook.
Account deactivation allows people to return to their profiles if they wish to and use Facebook with pre-existing friend connections and settings. Advertisers and third-party marketing data services continue sharing information about users’ off-Facebook activity even when they do not have an account.
Moreover, Facebook does not even inform advertisers about deactivated accounts making up for their target audience. This can prove risky when it comes to planning ad budgets and campaigns around audience size and reach.
[11 minute read]
