Facebook keeps track of a lot of information about your activity on the platform. This includes things you actively do, such as posting photos, commenting on posts, reacting to content, and direct messaging. It also includes passive activity that is logged without you necessarily being aware, such as when you view certain pages or profiles, watch videos, click on links, or even just scroll past posts while browsing your News Feed.
All of this tracked activity falls under what Facebook calls “Logged Actions and Other Activity.” This essentially refers to any and all actions or behaviors that get recorded in Facebook’s systems. So what exactly might be included in this logged activity data? Here is a more in-depth look at some of the key things Facebook keeps track of:
Posts, Comments, Reactions, and Messages
Any posts, comments, reactions (likes, loves, wows, etc), and direct messages you send on Facebook are obviously logged. This includes text posts, shared links/articles, photos, videos, or any other content you actively post. All your commenting and reacting activity on other people’s posts is also tracked.
Text Posts
When you post a text update as a Facebook status, that is recorded. The date, time, content, and privacy settings of the post are all logged.
Shared Links
Links to articles, websites, or other online content that you share are logged. Data tracked includes the URL, headline, description, thumbnail image, and publisher of the content.
Uploaded Photos and Videos
Any photos or videos you upload are tracked, including details like the file size, date uploaded, and privacy settings. For photos, Facebook also logs things like which camera or photo editing apps were used to create the image.
Reactions
When you click Like, Love, Care, Sad, or Angry reacts on posts, comments, and other content, those reaction types are logged. This applies to all react activity, whether reacting to your own posts or other people’s content.
Comments
All comments you leave on posts, shared content, images, videos, etc. are tracked. The text of the comment, date/time, and content you were commenting on are logged.
Messages
Your Facebook messages are, naturally, recorded. This includes who you messaged, the date/time, the text and details of the messages, and whether you sent photos or other files.
Viewing Content
In addition to your active engagement on Facebook like posting and commenting, passive viewing behaviors are also logged:
News Feed Scrolling
As you scroll through your News Feed, Facebook tracks the posts you see. This allows them to understand how you interact with content as you scroll, and for how long you engage with different types of posts.
Page and Profile Views
When you view a Facebook Page, public profile, or community/group, this is logged. The types of Pages you view can reveal interests and preferences to Facebook.
Opened Links
If you click a link in a post or ad that navigates you away from Facebook, this is tracked. Even if you don’t click, Facebook logs that you loaded the link content in your browser.
Hovering Over Videos
Facebook logs how long your mouse hovers over a video as you scroll. Even if you don’t actively click play, hovering suggests you’re interested.
Content Views in News Tab
Browsing activity in your News Tab is tracked, revealing the types of news articles and content you’re interested in from different publishers.
Ads and Sponsored Content
Facebook tracks your interactions with the ads and sponsored content on their platform:
Ad Clicks
When you click on an ad or sponsored post, Facebook logs what ad was clicked and where it took you. This helps advertisers understand ad performance.
Ad Topics and Categories
Facebook tracks what types of ads you view and engage with – like ads about certain products, services, or interests. This reveals what topics you may care about.
Advertiser Visits
If you visit the Facebook Page or website of a company after viewing their ad, this demonstrates their ad was effective in driving your interest.
Sponsored Content Engagement
Interactions with sponsored posts or content that appears native in the News Feed are also logged, like reacting to or commenting on the post.
Location Information
Facebook can log location data in a few ways, if you have location access enabled:
Location Tagging
When you tag a location in a post or check-in somewhere, that geographic data is tracked.
Location-Based Ads
If you see an ad targeted to your city or location, Facebook knows you were in that area.
Facebook Access Locations
If you access Facebook from different devices and locations, these access points are logged to understand where you use Facebook.
App and Game Activity
Your activities within third-party Facebook-connected apps and games are also tracked:
App and Game Usage
Facebook logs which apps you use, how often you use them, and your activities within those apps through Facebook’s App Events API.
App and Game Purchases
If you make in-app purchases on Facebook-connected apps across devices, details on your purchase activity is recorded.
Friend Interactions
Related to apps and games, Facebook tracks how you interact with friends on those platforms – like playing games together.
Device Information
Technical information about the device(s) you use to access Facebook are logged, such as:
Device Type
Whether you’re on an iPhone, Android, tablet, desktop etc. Device specs like screen size, memory, storage etc. may be logged as well.
Browser Information
Technical browser details like version, language, cookie support, and plugins/extensions can be tracked.
IP Address
The IP addresses associated with devices you use to log into Facebook are logged, which provides location information.
Device Identifiers
Unique device IDs and other identifiers are tracked to understand your access points and associated activity.
Face Recognition
If you have face recognition turned on, Facebook uses face scanning technology to identify you in photos and videos you’re tagged in by friends on the platform. Face recognition data is logged to power this feature.
Calls and Messages
If you use Facebook for calling or messaging through apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, or Portal, activity details are logged, including:
Calls
Your call logs, like the date, time, participants, and duration of calls you make over Facebook’s messaging platforms.
Messages
The content of the messages, as well as date, time, and participants for all your conversations.
Contacts Uploaded
If you allow Facebook to access your contact list, information on each contact is recorded.
Connections
Facebook logs details about your connections and relationships on the platform:
Friend Requests
Sent and received friend requests are tracked, along with whether you accept or ignore/decline the requests.
Removed Friends
If you remove a friend connection, this action is logged by Facebook.
Blocked Accounts
When you block another user, Facebook tracks who was blocked.
Follower and Following Activity
New followers and accounts you follow are logged, along with any changes like unfollowing an account.
Searches
Facebook logs details about searches you conduct on the platform:
Graph Search Queries
What you search for in Graph Search or for posts is tracked, revealing your interests and connections.
Search Autocomplete
As you type in the Facebook search bar and get suggested searches, your entered text is logged even if you don’t conduct the search.
Trending/Recommended Searches
Facebook records which searches are trending or recommended to you when searching, based on your previous activity.
Pages Created
Details about any Facebook Pages you create for businesses, brands, organizations, or other purposes are tracked:
Page Categories
Facebook logs the category your Page represents, like local business, company, community, public figure etc.
Page Names
Page name, username, and any changes made are tracked.
Page Roles
Your role as a Page admin and any privileges are recorded by Facebook.
Groups
Information about the Facebook Groups you create or join is logged:
Group Names
The names and privacy settings of Groups you create are tracked.
Joined Groups
Facebook logs when you join or leave various Groups.
Roles in Groups
If you have admin or moderator roles within Groups, Facebook tracks this access.
Events
Details are logged about events you create or interact with:
Event Responses
Facebook tracks if you respond Going, Interested, or Can’t Go to various events, or ignore the event.
Event Details
For events you create, info like the Event Name, Location, Date/Time, and other details are logged.
Live Video
If you go Live or create a Facebook Live video related to an event, this content is tracked.
Marketplace Activity
Interactions with Facebook Marketplace like browsing, buying, and selling are logged:
Products Viewed
Facebook tracks which listings you click on, revealing your shopping interests.
Contacting Sellers
When you inquire about a listing via Marketplace messenger, this communication is recorded.
Purchases
Details on your Marketplace purchases are logged, like listing info, seller, price, shipping, payment, review, etc.
Items Listed
Listings you post for sale on Marketplace and their details are tracked.
Fundraisers Created
If you create Facebook Fundraisers for causes you support, activity details are tracked:
Fundraiser Name & Description
The name of your fundraiser and its details like beneficiary organization, goal amount, end date etc. are logged.
Donations Received
Donations to your fundraiser and donors’ names are recorded (if visible based on donors’ privacy settings).
Funds Raised
The total amount raised by your fundraiser is tracked by Facebook.
Profile Information
Facebook logs any changes you make to your personal profile info:
Status Updates
Any changes to your Facebook status are tracked, like relationship status, life events, etc.
Profile and Cover Photos
New profile picture and cover photo uploads are recorded.
Work and Education
Adding or updating your work, education, and volunteer experience info is logged.
Contact Details
If you add info like phone number, email, address, etc. this data is stored.
Policies Accepted
When you accept Facebook’s Terms of Service, Community Standards, Privacy Policy, etc. this acceptance is recorded.
Date of Acceptance
The date and time you accept Facebook’s policies are tracked.
Policy Changes
If policies are updated and you re-accept them, this acceptance is logged.
Policy Versions
Details like which version of policies you accepted are tracked.
Account Security Changes
Changes to strengthen your Facebook account security are logged, like:
Login Approvals
Enabling/disabling login approvals or two-factor authentication is tracked.
Login Notifications
Turning login notifications on or off is logged, so Facebook can alert you of unrecognized logins.
Password Changes
When you change your Facebook password, details like date and time are recorded.
Account Recovery Changes
Updating your account recovery options like trusted contacts is logged.
Notifications Received
When you receive notifications from Facebook via email, in-app, push, SMS etc. this activity is tracked:
Notification Content
The content of the notifications you receive from Facebook is recorded.
Notification Read Status
Facebook logs whether you’ve read particular notifications or left them unread.
Notification Types
Categories like promotional, transactional, or engagement notifications are tracked.
Notification Send Times
The dates and times notifications were sent to you are logged.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook records a wide array of your activities, interactions, content views, profile info, security changes, and other user behaviors on their platform. This logged data makes up your “Off-Facebook Activity” that helps shape the ads you see and informs Facebook’s understanding of your interests and connections.
Reviewing your own Off-Facebook Activity page provides visibility into what exactly Facebook tracks about your account usage and activity history. You can access this page through your Facebook Settings. While Facebook states that this data improves your experience, being aware of the extent of logged actions allows you to make more informed choices about what information you share and make public on the platform.