How To Stop Instagram Data Tracking
Instagram is the money-making machine of Facebook. Instagram brought in $20 billion in 2019 through ads. That’s nearly a quarter of what Facebook generated that year. Notably, Instagram makes money through ads as a primary source by tracking the data of its users. Moreover, Instagram shows ads almost everywhere within the app — between stories, on the feed, and even on the search page. For users, seeing ads everywhere on the app can be quite frustrating, not to mention the ads’ accuracy and targeting. Whether you’re shopping online, listening to music online, or even discussing a product or a service with your friends, Instagram will show you the same in a targeted ad.
How to limit Instagram data tracking for ads?
1. Launch the Facebook app and click on the hamburger icon.
2. Tap on Settings & Privacy and select “Settings” from the list.
3. Now scroll down and click on “Ad Preferences.”
4. Now, select “Ad Settings” and Tap on “Data about your activity from partners.”
5. Toggle the Facebook and Instagram switches to off. This setting is also available in the Instagram app, but Facebook provides more comprehensive options.
6. Moreover, in the “Ad Settings” menu, click on “Categories used to reach you.”
7. Scroll down and opt-out of all the “Interest categories” and “Other categories.”
By doing so, you’ve denied permission to show some targeted ads on Instagram and Facebook. Although this will not fully stop Instagram from showing you ads, they will be less relevant since social media platforms (Instagram and Facebook) can’t access your data from third-party apps for targeted and creepy ads.