Mumbai: In a move that has sparked conversations about digital privacy and user tracking, Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new feature called 'Link History.'

Meta's 'Link History' is a feature designed to provide users with a comprehensive record of the websites they visit through Facebook and Instagram. This means that every link clicked while using these platforms will be logged and stored in a personal archive accessible to the user. The intention behind this feature, as Meta claims, is to allow users to revisit and manage the content they engage with on a daily basis more easily.

This feature, while aiming to enhance user experience, also raises concerns about the extent to which our online activities are monitored and recorded. While Meta emphasises the user-centric benefits of 'Link History,' critics argue that it raises red flags concerning privacy. The concern primarily revolves around the vast amount of personal data that Meta already possesses about its users and how this new feature might contribute to a more extensive and detailed user profile.

In this article, we reached out to some experts who delved into the details of Meta's 'Link History' and explored the implications it holds for user privacy.

Edited excerpts

Content creator Akshat Tongia

While the concept of increased accessibility seems promising, there's a level of uncertainty surrounding how Meta intends to leverage our data for understanding our online behaviours.

What stands out is the somewhat intricate process of turning off this feature, suggesting a preference for users to keep it enabled. Additionally, many users may not be aware of these settings, contributing to heightened privacy concerns.

From a content creator's perspective, where my digital presence is integral to my work, I appreciate tools that enhance efficiency. However, the ambiguity surrounding the use of this data prompts a thoughtful consideration of striking the right balance between convenience and privacy.

Newton Consulting India & Newton PR COO Smita Khanna

Meta's 'Link History' isn't convenient, it's an off-site surveillance dragnet. This granular record of our non-Facebook journeys raises not just ethical alarms, but blatant hypocrisy for a company notorious for data stumbles. We deserve an online world where our clicks don't morph into targeted nightmares. Meta needs to ditch the Big Brother act and grant users control over their digital footprints.