Computer Tricks and Secrets

Almost everyone has a Facebook account, but very few people actually dive into the complex settings panels to protect their digital footprints. As a developer who understands how web tracking works, I am highly sensitive to how social media platforms collect, aggregate, and monetize user data. Over the years, I have audited my own account settings multiple times. In this guide, I am sharing the five hidden Facebook settings and safeguards I use daily to block background tracking, audit third-party data shares, and protect my profile. 1. Block Background Web Tracking Many users do not realize that Facebook tracks their activity across other websites and apps even when they are logged out. They do this via the Facebook Pixel embedded in millions of sites. To stop this tracking, I isolate my social media session. I use browser containers like Firefox's Facebook Container extension or extensions like Facebook Disconnect . These tools prevent Facebook from correlating my exter...

When I was actively building my social media presence and networking with other web developers, I followed hundreds of accounts. Over time, many of those accounts became inactive, or the owners changed their niche. To keep my feed clean and maintain a healthy follower-to-following ratio, I needed a way to clean up my list. In the past, tools like ManageFlitter, Crowdfire, and Tweepi made it easy to bulk unfollow non-followers. Today, I want to talk about how the transition from Twitter to X changed everything, explain why legacy tools are broken, and share safe ways to audit your network. The Impact of the X API Changes In 2023, under its new ownership, Twitter rebranded to X and introduced major changes to its developer platform. Most notably, they shut down the free and low-tier API access plans that third-party social media management tools relied on. This change had immediate effects: Legacy Tools Shut Down: Almost all free "unfollow trackers" lost access t...