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PCMag UK

Facebook Building a 'Clear History' Feature

Meanwhile, the British Parliament has threatened to issue a summons to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify across the pond if he doesn't voluntarily agree to do so.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook today announced plans to build a feature that will let you clear your history.

The upcoming Clear History feature will let you see all the websites and apps that are sending Facebook information about you, delete that data from your account, and disable the social network's ability to store it associated with your account in the future. Facebook plans to work with privacy advocates, academics, lawmakers when building this new feature, which should take "a few months" to arrive.

"Apps and websites that use features such as the Like button or Facebook Analytics send us information to make their content and ads better," Facebook Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan explained in a blog post. "We also use this information to make your experience on Facebook better."

If you clear your history, Facebook will remove personally identifying information, so a record of the websites and apps you've used will no longer be associated with your account.

Meanwhile, the British Parliament on Tuesday sent a letter to Facebook, once again, asking CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify as part of its probe into fake news and disinformation on the platform, and they are not playing around this time.

In the letter, Damian Collins, Chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said Zuckerberg can either go there voluntarily by May 24, or officials will issue a summons.

"While Mr Zuckerberg does not normally come under the jurisdiction of the UK Parliament, he will do so the next time he enters the country," the letter reads. "We hope that he will respond positively to our request, but if not the Committee will resolve to issue a formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK."

Collins went on to say that Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer, who appeared before the committee yesterday in place of Zuckerberg, "failed to answer fully on nearly 40 separate points" but promised to follow up with the answers. The committee gave Facebook until May 11 to provide those answers and respond as to whether Zuckerberg plans to testify.

Zuckerberg testified before US House and Senate committees last month.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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