Facebook To End Some Of Its Location-Tracking Features Including Nearby Friends

Facebook is pulling the plug on its feature called Nearby Friends and other services that would track users' location real-time in the wake of low usage.

This does not mean Facebook will stop collecting location data altogether

New Delhi: Facebook is pulling the plug on its feature called Nearby Friends and other services that would track users' location real-time in the wake of low usage, the media has reported. The other services that Facebook is discontinuing include weather alerts, location history, and background location -- these will not function after May 31, 2022.

First spotted by 9to5Mac, Facebook is sending a pop-up notification via the Facebook app for iOS and Android and informing its users about the end of Nearby Friends, an optional feature launched in 2014 that lets people share their current location with other friends on the platform. The report added that Facebook also says that Time Alerts, Location History, and Background Location are also “going away soon".

“Because you’ve previously used Nearby Friends, Weather alerts, Location History or Background Location, we’re letting you know that these products and features will no longer be available after May 31, 2022. Information you shared that was used for these experiences, including Location History and Background Location, will stop being collected after May 31, 2022, even if you have previously enabled them. Facebook will otherwise continue collecting location information for other experiences as described in our Data Policy," read Facebook’s message to users.

However, this development does not mean the social networking giant will stop collecting location data altogether. The company noted that it will “continue collecting location information for other experiences” to push relevant ads and location check-ins. Meanwhile, Facebook users can download, view, or delete any location data that the company saves within the “Settings and Privacy" menu. In case a user fails to do that, Facebook will delete any stored data related to its discontinued services on August 1.