What you need to know
- Facebook is killing off two features at the end of the month.
- Nearby Friends will be canceled soon, preventing people from sharing their location with others.
- Weather alerts will be disabled at the end of the month.
Facebook says that it is killing off two of its location-based features with Nearby Friends and Weather alerts set to be disabled after May 31.
In a message that is being sent out to users, Facebook says that the two features are set to end soon; Nearby Friends allowed people to share their location with others, while the Weather notifications feature is self-explanatory. Both features require location data, however, with Facebook saying that Location History and Background Location data will stop being collected after May 31, according to 9to5Mac.
Nearby Friends and Weather alerts 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.
However, none of this means that Facebook is going to stop following its users around. Instead, it says that location data will continue to be used for other things, although it doesn't say what. Those who want to stop Facebook from tracking them can do so, but they'll need to take additional steps.
No new version of Facebook will be needed for these changes to come into force, but those who want to install Facebook afresh can get it from the App Store now.
Facebook isn't saying specifically why it's making these changes. although the company continues to come under scrutiny for the amount of data it collects on its users — it's possible it's simply trying to reduce its exposure to such criticism.
