Facebook’s business model relies on gathering as much of our personal info as possible, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company is interested in collecting data from mental health apps like Talkspace and BetterHelp. That’s why many experts and advocates advise checking your settings to protect this sensitive information from falling into the hands of the social media giant.

One of the simplest steps to prevent Facebook from collecting your data is to become more vigilant when signing up for third-party apps.

“Don’t simply tap the default option. When you try to restrict tracking, many apps will try to convince you that you’re missing out. These are generally misleading or deceptive claims,” Princeton University professor and privacy expert Arvind Narayanan told NPR.

However, experts also acknowledge that our digital footprints are so complicated that it’s impossible for a user to ever fully safeguard their data.

“There’s a significant gap in privacy protection and regulation that allows these types of apps to fall through,” said John Davisson of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Despite the challenges inherent in protecting ourselves online, it’s worth investigating your settings in every app to make sure your info is safe. Facebook may ultimately get your data, but you can at least make it as hard as possible.

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