In a few weeks, your Facebook profile will tell less about you. Following an early sighting by consultant Matt Navarra, Meta has verified that effective December 1st, addresses, “interested in” (read: sexual orientation), political beliefs and religion would be removed from Facebook accounts. The change is intended to make Facebook “easier to understand and utilise,” according to a spokeswoman for TechCrunch. You will be notified of the change if you have filled out any of these areas.
Other information you submit, such as your contact information and marital status, will be saved. If you’re determined to keep your Facebook data, you may download a backup before December 1st, and you still have control over who can access the remaining profile material.
Facebook is removing religious views and ‘interested in’ info from profiles from 1 December 2022 pic.twitter.com/SKjSrtwUwm
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) November 16, 2022
Beyond reduced scrolling in the “contact and basic details” area, the change will have no practical influence on usability. However, it may represent shifting views regarding privacy. Facebook introduced these parts in the early days of social networking when users were more willing to reveal their more personal information (remember MySpace?). However, privacy is now a big worry – Meta has been increasingly concerned with privacy in recent years, concentrating on private conversations and increased security. In an age where online surveillance and abuse are all too widespread, people may be less likely to reveal information on their sites.
