Social networks trust their algorithms to form profiles about you, their users. They can be prevented or severely prevented. Here’s how.
Social media platforms from TikTok to Twitter don’t charge you for usage, except perhaps that they know almost everything about you. Part of the data collection strategy comes from algorithms. They decide what content to show you based on your usage preferences. Don’t oversimplify these algorithms.
Social media algorithms are constantly changing. They analyze your information and offer you content that they think is relevant to you. The way you interact with this content improves the algorithm that adapts to follow these future suggestions. And because of this, algorithms become formidable at keeping you on their platform for long periods of time, but they also help companies create better profiles about you and your interests.
These companies form profiles based on information provided voluntarily; they collect the accounts you follow, the information you post on your services, the places you share, etc. But what better way to find out who you really are than to offer you personalized content and see how do you interact with him? To prevent these platforms from knowing too much about you, or make them “unlearn”what they know about you, you have to trick the algorithms. Here are some tracks to follow:
Doesn’t confirm algorithms’ assumptions
Platforms today are used to offering you content, not opening it. When you open YouTube, for example, the home page populates with suggestions based on your search history. This can be helpful, but also makes you spend more time on the site. After all, there is always something to see.
And these platforms don’t just care about watch time; when you click on a suggested YouTube video or interact with a post on the Explore page on Instagram, you confirm the algorithm’s assumptions about you. This one takes this data and thus strengthens its profile in relation to you. If social media is already tracking your every move, the ones you make in featured content carry even more weight.
My advice? Avoid interacting with suggested content whenever possible. Instead, find the content you want to see. If you find something interesting in the offers, search for it manually and look in the search results. The algorithm will still learn from your behavior, but it won’t be as relevant as it would be if you read the sentences.
Delete topics with suggested content whenever possible
This brings us to our next topic. If you can, sort your feeds chronologically rather than letting the service show you what it thinks you’re interested in. It’s the same logic – don’t let the platform learn more than usual. By viewing and interacting with incoming content, the platform will have fewer ways to say what you’re really interested in, and therefore less data to add to your general profile.
Of course, not all platforms offer such streams. TikTok is known to serve content from the algorithm. You can always try to only watch content from the Subscriptions tab so that you only get videos from the accounts you follow. It’s still not perfect as the content is once again chosen by the TikTok algorithm, but at least you’ll have more control.
Facebook and Twitter allow you to sort chronologically rather than view a custom feed. Instagram doesn’t currently have a timeline, but it should be coming soon. Once it’s in place, use it instead of letting Meta choose which messages from your subscriptions you want to see first.
Use platforms without your account if possible
Another piece of advice directly related to how platforms work. If possible, do not tell the relevant social network that you are using this service. The most striking example is YouTube; If you don’t care about your browsing history, you can watch whatever you want in an incognito tab and YouTube won’t be able to link that activity to your Google account.
You can also use Reddit without an account; however, you will not be able to comment or vote on posts. But if you already know which communities you want to find, or if the default Reddit settings suit you, using this platform without an account is entirely possible.
This solution is also very good when you don’t want the algorithms to know what kind of content you don’t like, such as when a friend sends you a video or message they find funny. You watch a few of them and all of a sudden your entire TikTok feed is full of these things; Thank you but no.
In some cases, it is not possible to use these services without an account because many platforms require authorization. Facebook and Twitter are nearly impossible to use without an account, and Instagram regularly pops up a login prompt when viewing multiple posts without logging in.
The best solution in this solution would be:
Use a disposable account
Using a “fake account”with no real information is a good way to use these platforms without worrying about the profile companies might create on you. You know that companies know your every move on their platforms, but if you don’t give them your name, email address, date of birth, etc., it will be harder for them to find out who you really are.
Disposable accounts are great for sites like TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter, so you’re only missing out on the more social aspects of social media. If you can live without it, disposable accounts can serve you without being tracked.