Here’s how to stop app invitations and game invitations on Facebook, and, relatedly, how to stop Facebook from sharing so much about you and your personal information (what Facebook euphemistically calls “instant personalization”, “customized experience”, and “receiving information about your use of apps and websites”).
Of course, these settings are buried in a very inobvious place – under something called “Platform”.
We first told you about the Facebook social graph and platform that follows you across the web more than five years ago, and yes, Facebook has quite likely been following you around the web, collecting data on you, ever since.
But you can opt out of it, although of course it means that you will no longer have the “benefits” of that instant personalization and customized experience.
But it will also greatly reduce, if not eliminate, those annoying invitations to start using this Facebook app, or play that game on Facebook.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
Here’s how to turn that off.
Go to your Facebook settings.
From there go to your “Apps” settings.
Find the ‘Apps, Websites and Plugins’ section and click on ‘Edit’.
This will present you with a pop-up window that reads:
“Platform is on.
If you turn Platform off you can’t use the Facebook integrations on third party apps or websites. If you want to use these apps and websites with Facebook, turn Platform back on. Using Platform allows you to bring your Facebook experience to the other apps and websites you use on the web and to your mobile device and apps. It allows Facebook to receive information about your use of third party apps and websites to provide you with better and more customized experiences. Learn more.
If you turn off Platform apps:
You will not be able to log into websites or applications using Facebook.
Your friends won’t be able to interact and share with you using apps and websites.
Instant personalization will also be turned off.
Apps you’ve previously installed may still have info you shared. Please contact these apps for details on removing this data.
Apps you’ve logged into (with Facebook or Anonymously) will be removed.
Posts by apps will be removed from your profile.”
Now, before you click on ‘Disable Platform’, it’s important to understand that doing this will stop all 3rd-party apps from sharing information with Facebook, or Facebook with them. That means that if you use, for example, Instagram to post pictures to Facebook, you will no longer be able to have Instagram post to Facebook. So, it’s a tradeoff – your privacy and no longer getting app and game invitations, or being able to use those apps yourself.
If you still want to turn it all off, click on ‘Disable Platform’.
Conveniently (or not, depending on your view), if, after disabling Platform, you do try to use an app to share something with Facebook, you will be prompted to turn Platform back on – so you will at least know and can decide whether or not you want Platform on.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
