What is the Privacy Policy and what does it cover?Effective December 27, 2023 Highlights- This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and share your information. It also describes how long we keep your information and how we keep it safe when we transfer it.
- The Privacy Policy also lets you know your rights
- This policy applies to what we call Meta Products, or Products. Our Products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Portal.
- It also applies to Meta Quest if you log in with a Facebook or Meta account
We at Meta want you to understand what information we collect, and how we use and share it. That’s why we encourage you to read our Privacy Policy. This helps you use Meta Products[1] in the way that’s right for you. In the Privacy Policy, we explain how we collect, use, share, retain and transfer information. We also let you know your rights. Each section of the Policy includes helpful examples and simpler language to make our practices easier to understand. We’ve also added links to resources where you can learn more about the privacy topics that interest you. It's important to us that you know how to control your privacy, so we also show you where you can manage your information in the settings of the Meta Products you use. You can update these settings to shape your experience. Read the full policy below. 1 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
 How do we use your information?HighlightsHere are some of the ways we use your information: - We personalize your experience, like by suggesting reels to watch or communities to join
- We improve our Products by applying information about what you use them to do, and what else is happening on your device when our app crashes
- We work to prevent harmful behavior and keep people safe on our Products
- We send you messages about the Products you use or ones you might like, if you let us
- We research for the good of people around the world, like to advance technology or to help out in a crisis
We use information we collect to provide a personalized experience to you, including ads, along with the other purposes we explain in detail below. To use less information that’s connected to individual users, in some cases we de-identify or aggregate information or anonymize it so that it no longer identifies you. We use this information in the same ways we use your information as described in this section. Here are the ways we use your information: To provide, personalize and improve our ProductsRead more about how we use information to provide, personalize and improve our Products: How we show ads and other sponsored or commercial contentWhen you use our Products, you see ads and sponsored or commercial content, like product listings in Shops. You also see ads shown through Meta Audience Network or commercial content when you visit other apps. We want everything you see to be interesting and useful to you. To decide what to show you and others, we use information we have about you, including: - Your profile information
- Your activity on and off our Products, including information we receive through cookies and similar technologies, according to your settings
- Content you create or interact with across Facebook and Instagram
- Things we infer about you, like topics we think you may be interested in
- Information about your friends, followers or other connections, including their activity or interests
Learn more about some of the ways we show you ads that we think may be interesting to you, including using machine learning. Take controlManage ad preferencesHow we use information to improve our ProductsWe’re always trying to make our Products better and create new ones with the features you want. Information we collect from you helps us learn how. We use information we collect to: - See if a product is working correctly
- Troubleshoot and fix it when it’s not
- Test out new products and features to see if they work
- Get feedback on our ideas for products or features
- Conduct surveys and other research about what you like about our Products and brands and what we can do better
How we use location-related informationWe use location-related information that you allow us to receive if you turn on the Location Services device setting. This includes things like your GPS location and, depending on the operating system you're using, other device signals[34]. We also receive and use some location-related information even if Location Services is turned off. This includes: - IP addresses[35], which we use to estimate your general location. We can use IP addresses to estimate your specific location if it’s necessary to protect the safety and security of you or others.
- Your and others' activity on our Products, like check-ins and events
- Information you give us directly, like if you enter your current city on your profile, or provide your address in Marketplace
- Provide, personalize and improve our Products, including ads, for you and others. See an example[36].
- Detect suspicious activity and help keep your account secure. Learn how.[37]
Take controlManage location settingsTo promote safety, security and integrityWe use information we collect to help protect people from harm and provide safe, secure Products. Learn moreTo provide measurement, analytics and business servicesLots of people rely on our Products to run or promote their businesses. We help them measure how well their ads and other content, products and services are working. Learn moreTo communicate with youWe communicate with you using information you've given us, like contact information you've entered on your profile. Learn moreTo research and innovate for social goodWe use information we have, information from researchers and datasets from publicly available sources, professional groups and non-profit groups to conduct and support research. Learn morePromoting safety, security and integrityHere are some ways we promote safety, security and integrity. We work to: - Verify accounts and activity
- Find and address violations of our terms or policies. In some cases, the decisions we make about violations are reviewed by the Oversight Board. They may use information we have when they review our decisions. Learn more about how the Oversight Board processes information.
- Investigate suspicious activity
- Detect, prevent and combat harmful or unlawful behavior
- Identify and combat disparities and racial bias against historically marginalized communities
- Detect and prevent spam and other bad experiences
- Detect when someone needs help and provide support
- Detect and stop threats to our personnel and property
- Maintain the integrity of our Products
Learn more about how we work to keep Meta a safe place for everyone. Providing measurement, analytics and business servicesOur measurement and analytics services help our partners[38] understand things like: - How many people see and interact with their products, services or content, including posts, videos, Facebook Pages, listings, Shops and ads (including those shown through apps using Meta Audience Network)
- How people interact with their content, websites, apps and services
- What types of people[39] interact with their content or use their services
- How people use our partners' products and services to connect to Meta Products, the performance of their connection and networks and users' experience with them
We also use the information we collect to provide business services. More in the Privacy PolicyCommunicating with youWe communicate with you in a few different ways. For example: - We send messages about the Products we know you use, using the email you register to your account
- Depending on your settings, we send marketing communications about Products you might like
- We ask you to participate in research based on things like how you use our Products
- We let you know about our policies and terms of service
- When you contact us with questions, we reply to your email
- We facilitate customer support communications with you when you've told us, either directly or through a third party[40], that you have questions or concerns about our Products
We also use information about how you interact with our messages, like if you open an email from us. This helps us understand the best way to reach you and whether our communications are helpful. Take controlResearching and innovating for social good We research and innovate to help people around the world. Our goals include: - Contributing to social good and areas of public interest
- Advancing technology
- Improving safety, health and well-being
Here are some examples of our research: - We analyze information about where groups of people go during crises. This helps relief organizations get aid to the right places.
- We work with independent researchers to better understand the impact social media might have on elections and democratic processes
- We’ve collaborated with academics and industry experts to help improve internet access and quality in rural areas
- We support research in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning to do things like create COVID-19 forecasting models
More in the Privacy Policy28 Using information across our Products- Personalize ads for you and others. Learn more.
- Measure the performance of those ads. Learn more.
- Provide more personalized features, content and suggestions across our Products. See examples[41].
- More accurately count people and understand how they use our Products
- Help keep you and others safe. Learn more.
Take controlManage accounts29 Why we use information across devicesOne reason we use your information across devices[43] is to help us give you a more personalized experience. For example, we might show you an ad on your phone, and later you might use your laptop to click on the ad and buy the product. By combining that information across your devices, we can understand what ads are relevant to you and help businesses measure how well their ad performed. 30 Manual reviewExamples of when we use manual review- Our reviewers help us promote safety, security and integrity across our Products. For example, reviewers can look for and remove content that violates our terms and policies and keep content that doesn’t break our terms and policies available. Their work supplements our technology that detects violations.
- When our algorithms detect that someone might need help, a reviewer can review their post and offer support if needed.
- We also use manual review to analyze content to train our algorithms to review content the same way a person would. This improves our automatic processing, which in turn helps us improve our products.
Who reviews this informationOur reviewers work at Meta, for Meta Companies or for a trusted service provider[44]. We require every reviewer who's allowed access to your information to meet privacy and security standards. Learn more about how Meta prioritizes content for manual review. 31 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
32 How we personalize your Facebook FeedYour Facebook Feed is unique to you. We order (or “rank”) the content you can see in your Feed, and you can learn more about the different types of signals we use to rank it. We also suggest content that’s relevant to you. Many things influence the content you see in your Feed. For example: - If your friends, connections or people you may know interact with a Facebook Page, post or certain topic, we can suggest similar content to you. So if your friend Ahmad comments on a post about national parks, we can suggest the national parks post to you.
- If you and others interact with the same group, Facebook Page or post, we can suggest another group, Page or post that they interact with for you. So if you and Sharmila are in the same cat lovers group and Sharmila likes a Page that sells scarves, we might suggest the scarves Page to you.
- If you’ve recently engaged with a certain topic on Facebook, we might then suggest other posts that are related to that topic. So if you recently liked or commented on a post from a basketball Page, we could suggest other posts about basketball.
- You might see posts based on where you are and what people near you are interacting with on Facebook. So if you’re near a sports stadium, we can suggest games or events occurring at the stadium. Learn more about how we use location-related information.
Take controlManage Facebook Feed33 Your activity on our ProductsFor example, William checks into a local bakery on Facebook, so later we might show him ads on Instagram for other local bakeries. Your activity on third-party websites and apps, depending on your settingsFor example, Jane buys a pair of shoes from an online shoe store or in an online chat with a shoe seller. The seller shares Jane’s activity with us using our Business Tools, subject to our Business Tools Terms. Later, Jane sees an ad on Instagram for a discount on her next shoe purchase from the online store. If she doesn't want to see ads from this shoe store again, she can hide them in her Advertisers setting. Or if she doesn’t want us to show her any ads based on her activity on other websites and apps, she can make sure that this setting is turned off in her ad preferences. Topics we think you might be interested inFor example, Jon likes several Facebook Pages about famous musicians, so we think he has an interest in "music." Based on this interest, we might show him an ad for a local record shop or an online music publication. Jon can manage his interests in his ad topics. Your connectionsFor example, Fiona’s friend likes an Instagram account for a local art fair. Based on her friend’s activity, we might show Fiona an ad for the art fair. 34 Other device signals we receiveWe receive different types of device signals from different operating systems. They include things like nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. 35 IP addressStands for "internet protocol address." It’s a unique number assigned to a device, like a phone or computer, that allows it to communicate over the internet. Numbers are assigned according to standard guidelines, or protocols. Just like you need a mailing address to receive a letter from a friend, your device needs an IP address to receive information on the internet. 36 Personalizing ads for you and othersFor example, Marcus is going on a trip and wants to use Find Wi-Fi to find free, public Wi-Fi at the airport. He has turned on Location Services on his device and allowed location access on the Facebook app, so we can use his GPS information to help him find the most relevant public Wi-Fi networks. We’ll also use this information to show him ads for local businesses near the airport. Later, Marcus turns off Location Services before he lands, so we don’t collect his GPS information anymore. Later on his trip, he opens the Facebook app, and we can use the IP address we receive to estimate Marcus’ general location and show him ads for businesses nearby. 37 Helping to keep your account secureFor example, we use information about the locations you normally log in from, combined with other information, to detect suspicious activity. So if we detect an attempt to log into your account from a new location, we can check that it’s really you. 38 PartnerA person, business, organization or body using or integrating our Products to advertise, market or support their products and services 39 Information we provide about different types of peopleFor example, we might tell an advertiser that their ad was seen by women aged 25–34 who live in Madrid and like software engineering. 40 Third partyA person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies 41 Providing more personalized features, content and suggestions across our ProductsFor example we can: - Automatically fill in registration information, like your phone number, from one Meta Product when you sign up for an account on a different Product
- Let others see and search your name and profile photo across our Products and communicate with you
- Show all interactions in one place for content you’ve cross-posted to different Products
42 Using your information if you add accounts to the same Accounts CenterFor example, if you follow your favorite team on Instagram, we can more easily suggest that you follow that team’s Page on Facebook. Learn more about how we use information across accounts if you add accounts to the same Accounts Center. 43 DeviceDevices include computers, phones, hardware, connected TVs, Portal devices and other web-connected devices. 44 Service providerA person, business, organization or body that provides services to Meta or to our users on behalf of Meta. For example, our service providers do things like investigate suspicious activity and provide customer support. How do we share information with third parties?HighlightsWe share certain information with: - Advertisers who show ads on our Products
- Businesses we hire to market our Products for us
- Businesses we hire to do things like offer customer service or conduct surveys
- Researchers who use it to do things like innovate, advance technology, or improve people’s safety
We don’t sell your information, and we never will. We don't sell any of your information to anyone, and we never will. We also require partners[53] and other third parties[54] to follow rules about how they can and cannot use and disclose the information we provide. Here’s more detail about who we share information with: PartnersAdvertisers and Audience Network publishersAdvertisersWe provide advertisers with reports about the number and kinds of people who see and engage with their ads and commercial content. These reports include information about the general demographics and interests of people who engaged with an advertiser’s ad or commercial content. Then advertisers can better understand their audience. See an example[55]. Meta also provides advertisers and their vendors with information about: - Ads and commercial content people engaged with, if any
- When people engaged with ads and commercial content
- Where that ad or commercial content was shown (for example, on Instagram, or on Facebook)
We also confirm which ads or commercial content you viewed that led you to take an action with an advertiser, such as downloading an advertiser's app. But we don't share information with these advertisers and their vendors that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give us permission.[56]Audience Network publishers and their vendorsMeta Audience Network lets advertisers place ads with us that will be published on other apps and websites outside of Meta. To help show you ads on their apps and websites, we share information with publishers who use Audience Network, as well as vendors who facilitate that use. For example, we share: - How many people see and engage with ads on publisher apps
- Information related to or in response to a publisher’s request to serve an ad on its app.
But we don't share information with these publishers and their vendors that by itself can be used to contact or identify you, such as your name or email address, unless you give us permission[56]. Partners who use our analytics servicesPeople rely on our Products[57], like business accounts, professional tools and Facebook Pages, to run and promote their businesses. Businesses use our analytics services to understand more about how people are using their content, features, products and services. To provide these services, we use the information we collect about you. We put this information into aggregate reports so that partners can see how well their content, features, products and services are performing and are able to understand things like users’ experience with such content, products and services. These reports aggregate information like: - How many people interacted with our partners' content, products or services
- The general demographics and interests[55] of the people who interacted with it
- How people use our partners’ products and services to connect to Meta Products and the performance of their connection and networks
Advertisers also receive other information. Read our policy about how we share information with advertisers. Partners who offer goods or services on our Products and commerce services platformsWhen you choose to make a transaction[58], or otherwise choose to share information with a seller, creator, fundraiser, charity, payment services provider or commerce services platform[59], we share information with them and with any providers acting on their behalf. Depending on how you interact with them, they receive: - Information to complete your transaction, like order, payment, contact and shipping information
- Information to help ensure the security of the transaction, like information about your device or connection
- Any information required by applicable regulation
- Other information you choose to share with them
For example, if you make a purchase from an Instagram shop using checkout, the shop will receive information to complete your transaction. This may include your order items, your contact details and shipping information. If the shop uses a payment services provider, such as PayPal, to facilitate the transaction, the provider will receive the transaction amount, a transaction description (to appear on your credit card statement) and your payment card information, such as cardholder name, card number, expiration date and billing address. Learn more about payments on Instagram. Integrated partnersWhen you choose to use integrated partners’ products or services, they may receive information about you and your activity. Read the policy. VendorsMeasurement vendorsWe don’t create every measurement and analytics report ourselves. We share information (like whether people saw an ad or engaged with it) with our measurement vendors[60], who aggregate it to provide their reports. For example, an advertiser might ask a measurement vendor to help figure out the impact its ads on Facebook have had on sales. The measurement vendor compares information from us about clicks on the advertiser’s Facebook ads with information from the advertiser about product purchases. Then the measurement vendor creates and provides aggregated reports that show the advertiser how its ads are performing. Marketing vendorsWe share information about you with marketing vendors[61]. For example, we share your device identifier or other identifiers with marketing vendors to help us serve you ads most relevant to your interests. Marketing vendors support our marketing and advertising efforts by: - Serving our advertisements across the internet, including on mobile, desktop and connected television devices
- Tracking and categorizing your online and mobile app activity
- Providing us information about your interests and community and advertising interactions
These marketing vendors help us understand who might find our advertising most relevant to their interests, and which of our Products might interest you. This information can be used to personalize which of our ads are shown to you. Marketing vendors also use this information to measure response to our marketing efforts and the effectiveness of our advertising. Learn more[62] about how to manage the Meta ads you see off our Products. Service providersThird partiesExternal researchersWe provide information to external researchers. They use it to conduct research that advances scholarship and innovation, and to promote safety, security and integrity. Research goals include supporting: - Our business or mission
- Social good. Learn more.
- Technological advancement
- Safety and security on our Products
- Public interest
- Health and well-being
When sharing information with external researchers, we ensure the privacy of our users is protected. Learn more about the privacy-safe research we support. Other third partiesAnd if we sell or transfer all or part of our business to someone else, in some cases we’ll give the new owner your information as part of that transaction, but only as the law allows. 53 PartnerA person, business, organization or body using or integrating our Products to advertise, market or support their products and services 54 Third partyA person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies 55 General demographics and interestsFor example, a bike shop creates a Page on Facebook and wants to place an ad to reach an audience of people in Atlanta interested in cycling. We determine whether someone fits in this audience based on, for example, whether they liked a Page about bikes. Then people in that audience could see the bike shop's ad. You can see the “interests” assigned to you in your ad preferences and remove them if you want. The bike shop can then see reports showing aggregated statistics about the audience seeing their ads and how their ads are performing. The reports would show statistics to the advertiser that, for example, most of the people who saw or clicked on their ad: - Were women
- Were between the ages of 25 and 34
- Clicked on the ad from their phone
56 When you might give us permissionFor example, you might request more information from a business by clicking their ad in your Facebook Feed and submitting a form with your name and contact information. Then the advertiser would receive the information you provided. 57 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
58 Transactions you might make- Subscribing to premium content
- Buying, selling or using products
- Buying, selling or using services
- Donating to charities
59 Commerce services platformsCommerce services platforms provide a range of commerce services, including: - Payments
- Marketing
- Shipping
- Customer engagement tools
60 Measurement vendorA third party that creates reports to help advertisers understand how their content and ads are performing. These reports also measure whether people took an action after seeing an ad. 61 Marketing vendorA third party that helps market or advertise Meta and our Products, measures the effectiveness of our own marketing campaigns and performs advertising research 62 Manage the ads you see on our ProductsManage Meta ads you see off our ProductsWe advertise our own products and services on non-Meta ad platforms. We use marketing vendors to deliver these ads. Here’s how to opt out of our tailored ads you see off our Products: - Cookie-based opt out: If applicable and available in your jurisdiction, you may use the Digital Advertising Alliance industry opt-out platform, available in English and Spanish. Residents of Canada may use the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada industry opt-out platform. If you apply certain ad blockers and tools to restrict cookies, it may interfere with your ability to opt out.
- Mobile phone-based opt out: Check your mobile device settings. Different manufacturers provide different ways to opt out of advertisements.
- Other online identifiers: You may use the NAI industry opt-out platform.
How can you manage or delete your information and exercise your rights?Highlights- You have rights to view and download the information we have about you
- You can use the settings in this section to manage your privacy
- You also can delete your account or specific account information, if you want to
We offer you a variety of tools to view, manage, download and delete your information below. You can also manage your information by visiting the settings of the Products you use. You may also have other privacy rights under applicable laws. To exercise your rights, visit our Help Centers, your settings for Facebook and Instagram and your device-based settings. View and manage your informationPort, download or delete your informationYou can learn more about how privacy works on Facebook and on Instagram, and in the Facebook Help Center. If you have questions about this policy, you can contact us as described below. In some countries, you may also be able to contact the Data Protection Officer for Meta Platforms, Inc., and depending on your jurisdiction, you may also contact your local Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) directly. 68 Manage the ads you see on our ProductsManage Meta ads you see off our ProductsWe advertise our own products and services on non-Meta ad platforms. We use marketing vendors to deliver these ads. Here’s how to opt out of our tailored ads you see off our Products: - Cookie-based opt out: If applicable and available in your jurisdiction, you may use the Digital Advertising Alliance industry opt-out platform, available in English and Spanish. Residents of Canada may use the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada industry opt-out platform. If you apply certain ad blockers and tools to restrict cookies, it may interfere with your ability to opt out.
- Mobile phone-based opt out: Check your mobile device settings. Different manufacturers provide different ways to opt out of advertisements.
- Other online identifiers: You may use the NAI industry opt-out platform.
70 Delete your information or accountTo delete your information, you can: - Find and delete specific information. We offer tools you can use to delete certain information. For example, you can use Delete buttons to delete content you’ve posted to your account. You can also use tools like activity log on Facebook to send content to the trash in bulk. When you delete content, it’s no longer visible to other users. Visit the Facebook Help Center or Instagram Help Center to learn what happens when you delete your content or move it to trash.
- Permanently delete your account. If you delete your account on Facebook or Instagram, we delete your information, including the things you’ve posted, such as your photos and status updates, unless we need to keep it as described in "How long do we keep your information?" Once your account is permanently deleted you won’t be able to reactivate it, and you won’t be able to retrieve information, including content you’ve posted.
How long does it take to delete your information?If you request that we delete your account or content, it may take up to 90 days to delete your information after we begin the account deletion process or receive a content deletion request. After the information is deleted, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery. If you leave your deleted content in your trash on Facebook or your Recently Deleted folder on Instagram, the deletion process will begin automatically in 30 days. Or you can start the deletion process right away by deleting the content from your trash or Recently Deleted folder. How long do we keep your information?Highlights- We keep information for as long as we need it to provide a feature or service
- But you can request that we delete your information
- We’ll delete that information unless we have to keep it for something else, like for legal reasons
We keep information as long as we need it to provide our Products, comply with legal obligations or protect our or other’s interests. We decide how long we need information on a case-by-case basis. Here’s what we consider when we decide: - If we need it to operate or provide our Products. For example, we need to keep some of your information to maintain your account. Learn more[71].
- The feature we use it for, and how that feature works. For example, messages sent using Messenger’s vanish mode are retained for less time than regular messages. Learn more[72].
- How long we need to retain the information to comply with certain legal obligations. See some examples[73].
- If we need it for other legitimate purposes, such as to prevent harm; investigate possible violations of our terms or policies; promote safety, security and integrity; or protect ourselves, including our rights, property or products
In some instances and for specific reasons, we’ll keep information for an extended period of time. Read our policy[74] about when we may preserve your information. 71 If we need it to operate or provide our ProductsFor example, we keep profile information, photos you’ve posted (and not deleted) and security information for the lifetime of your account. And when you search for something on Facebook, we keep your search history until you clear the search in your activity log or delete your account. Once you clear a search or delete your account, it will no longer be visible to you, and it will be deleted[75]. But even if you don’t clear your search or delete your account, within six months of your search we delete information about that search that isn’t necessary to show you your search history, like information about the device you were using, or your location. 72 The feature we use it for, and how that feature worksFor example, May is planning a surprise party for Yang. She sends Cynthia the party details in Messenger using vanish mode so that the message will disappear. The message will no longer be visible to May once she leaves the chat, and Cynthia will see the message only the first time she opens the chat thread. After Cynthia reads the message, the content is deleted after one hour. If Cynthia never reads it, it’s deleted after 14 days. 73 How long we need to retain the information to comply with certain legal obligationsFor example, we retain information for as long as we need it for: - A legal request or obligation, including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law
- A governmental investigation
- A legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings
74 Why we may preserve your information longerYour information, including financial transaction data related to purchases or money transfers made on our Products, may be preserved and accessed for a longer time period if it’s related to any of the following: - A legal request or obligation, including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law
- A governmental investigation
- An investigation of possible violations of our terms or policies
- To prevent harm
- For safety, security and integrity purposes
- To protect ourselves, including our rights, property or products
- If it’s needed in relation to a legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings
In some cases, we may preserve your information based on the above reasons even after you request deletion of your account or some of your content. We may also preserve information from accounts that have been disabled and content that has been removed for violations of our terms and policies. 75 Delete your information or accountTo delete your information, you can: - Find and delete specific information. We offer tools you can use to delete certain information. For example, you can use Delete buttons to delete content you’ve posted to your account. You can also use tools like activity log on Facebook to send content to the trash in bulk. When you delete content, it’s no longer visible to other users. Visit the Facebook Help Center or Instagram Help Center to learn what happens when you delete your content or move it to trash.
- Permanently delete your account. If you delete your account on Facebook or Instagram, we delete your information, including the things you’ve posted, such as your photos and status updates, unless we need to keep it as described in "How long do we keep your information?" Once your account is permanently deleted you won’t be able to reactivate it, and you won’t be able to retrieve information, including content you’ve posted.
How long does it take to delete your information?If you request that we delete your account or content, it may take up to 90 days to delete your information after we begin the account deletion process or receive a content deletion request. After the information is deleted, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery. If you leave your deleted content in your trash on Facebook or your Recently Deleted folder on Instagram, the deletion process will begin automatically in 30 days. Or you can start the deletion process right away by deleting the content from your trash or Recently Deleted folder. 76 Examples of why we might preserve your informationTo respond to a legal requestFor example, we might preserve your information after you delete your account when we receive a valid legal request, such as a preservation order or search warrant, related to your account. To comply with applicable lawFor example, we preserve certain information about purchases or transactions associated with an account, in line with Meta’s accounting obligations. For safety, security and integrity purposesFor example, if we disable an account for violating our terms or policies, we preserve information about that user to prevent them from opening a new account. We also might preserve some of your account information as part of our review of suspicious activity. This includes any suspicious activity associated with our financial products, like suspected money laundering or terrorist funding. For litigationWe may preserve your information where we deem it necessary for reasons related to a legal claim or complaint. For example, we may be required to defend ourselves in legal proceedings in a claim related to your information. How do we transfer information?Highlights- Because we connect people all around the world, we need to transfer information all around the world, too
- When we do this, we follow international regulations to keep your information safe
Why is information transferred to other countries?- So we can operate and provide the services stated in the terms of the Meta Product[81] you’re using and this Policy. This includes allowing you to share information and connect with your family and friends around the globe.
- So we can fix, analyze and improve our Products
Where is information transferred? Your information will be transferred or transmitted to, or stored and processed in: - Places we have infrastructure or data centers, including the United States, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden, among others
- Countries where Meta Company Products are available
- Other countries where our partners, vendors, service providers and other third parties are located outside of the country where you live, for purposes as described in this Policy
How do we safeguard your information?We also make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place whenever we transfer your information. For example, we encrypt your information when it’s in transit over public networks to protect it from unauthorized access. More resources77 PartnerA person, business, organization or body using or integrating our Products to advertise, market or support their products and services 78 Measurement vendorA third party that creates reports to help advertisers understand how their content and ads are performing. These reports also measure whether people took an action after seeing an ad. 79 Service providerA person, business, organization or body that provides services to Meta or to our users on behalf of Meta. For example, our service providers do things like investigate suspicious activity and provide customer support. 80 Third partyA person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies 81 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
82 Mechanisms we use for global data transfers- We utilize standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and by other relevant authorities.
- We rely on determinations from the European Commission, and from other relevant authorities, about whether other countries have adequate levels of data protection.
- We use equivalent mechanisms under applicable laws that apply to data transfers to the United States and other relevant countries.
How do we respond to legal requests, comply with applicable law and prevent harm?Highlights- Sometimes we have to provide information to respond to legal requests when necessary
- If there’s a law that says we need to keep your information for some reason, we need to comply with it. So we’ll keep information to obey that law.
- We also sometimes keep information that we think will help prevent or stop bad activity, either on our Products or in the world
We access, preserve, use and share your information: - In response to legal requests, like search warrants, court orders, production orders or subpoenas. These requests come from third parties[84] such as civil litigants, law enforcement and other government authorities. Learn more[85] about when we respond to legal requests.
- In accordance with applicable law
- To promote the safety, security and integrity of Meta Products[86], users, employees, property and the public. Learn more[87].
We may access or preserve your information for an extended amount of time. Learn more[88]. 84 Third partyA person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies 85 When we respond to legal requestsWe respond to legal requests where we’re required by law to do so, and at times where we're not compelled by law, but a response: - May affect users in that jurisdiction, and
- Is consistent with internationally recognized standards including, for example, our Corporate Human Rights Policy.
86 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
87 How we promote safety, security and integrityWe share your information with law enforcement, government authorities, Meta Companies and other third parties (including industry peers) when we have a good faith belief it’s necessary to detect, prevent and address a variety of situations, such as: - Unauthorized use of our Products. See an example.[90]
- Violations of our terms and policies. See an example.[91]
- Investigating suspicious activity
- Protecting ourselves, including our rights, property, personnel or Products
- Preventing abuse, fraud, or other harmful or illegal activity, on and off our Products
- Protecting you or others, including as part of investigations or regulatory inquiries
- Emergency situations, such as risk of death or imminent bodily harm
88 Why we may preserve your information longerYour information, including financial transaction data related to purchases or money transfers made on our Products, may be preserved and accessed for a longer time period if it’s related to any of the following: - A legal request or obligation, including obligations of Meta Companies or to comply with applicable law
- A governmental investigation
- An investigation of possible violations of our terms or policies
- To prevent harm
- For safety, security and integrity purposes
- To protect ourselves, including our rights, property or products
- If it’s needed in relation to a legal claim, complaint, litigation or regulatory proceedings
In some cases, we may preserve your information based on the above reasons even after you request deletion of your account or some of your content. We may also preserve information from accounts that have been disabled and content that has been removed for violations of our terms and policies. 90 Unauthorized use of our ProductsFor example, if you unlawfully collect and use Facebook user data, we may share your information to defend ourselves against claims or in litigation. 91 Violations of our terms and policiesFor example, if you post threatening or harmful content, we may share your information across the Meta Companies to protect ourselves and others. This can include blocking your access to certain features or disabling your account across the Meta Companies. 92 Examples of why we might preserve your informationTo respond to a legal requestFor example, we might preserve your information after you delete your account when we receive a valid legal request, such as a preservation order or search warrant, related to your account. To comply with applicable lawFor example, we preserve certain information about purchases or transactions associated with an account, in line with Meta’s accounting obligations. For safety, security and integrity purposesFor example, if we disable an account for violating our terms or policies, we preserve information about that user to prevent them from opening a new account. We also might preserve some of your account information as part of our review of suspicious activity. This includes any suspicious activity associated with our financial products, like suspected money laundering or terrorist funding. For litigationWe may preserve your information where we deem it necessary for reasons related to a legal claim or complaint. For example, we may be required to defend ourselves in legal proceedings in a claim related to your information. How will you know the policy has changed?We'll notify you before we make material changes to this Policy. You’ll have the opportunity to review the revised Policy before you choose to continue using our Products. Return to topWhy and how we process your information93 What Products does this policy cover?This policy describes the information we, Meta Platforms, Inc., process to provide Meta Products. Meta Products, which we also call "Products," include: - Facebook
- Messenger
- Instagram (including apps like Boomerang and Threads)
- Facebook Portal products
- Meta Platforms Technologies Products, such as Meta Horizon Worlds or Meta Quest (when using a Facebook or Meta account)
- Shops
- Marketplace
- Spark AR
- Meta Business Tools
- Meta Audience Network
- Facebook View
- Meta Pay
- Meta checkout experiences
94 Metadata- Information about the content itself, like the location where a photo was taken or the date a file was created
- Information about the message itself, like the type of message or the date and time it was sent
95 DeviceDevices include computers, phones, hardware, connected TVs, Portal devices and other web-connected devices. 96 IP addressStands for "internet protocol address." It’s a unique number assigned to a device, like a phone or computer, that allows it to communicate over the internet. Numbers are assigned according to standard guidelines, or protocols. Just like you need a mailing address to receive a letter from a friend, your device needs an IP address to receive information on the internet. 97 PartnerA person, business, organization or body using or integrating our Products to advertise, market or support their products and services 98 Third partyA person, business, organization or body that is not part of the Meta Companies 99 Service providerA person, business, organization or body that provides services to Meta or to our users on behalf of Meta. For example, our service providers do things like investigate suspicious activity and provide customer support. |
