Facebook removes multiple personal information fields from accounts, here’s why – Times of India

Facebook is planning to remove four different information fields from user profiles. The Meta-owned social media platform has reportedly started notifying its users about the information fields that will be removed from their accounts starting next month. The change was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, who shared screenshots of the Facebook notice from his Twitter account. Facebook has also revealed that these changes will start reflecting on user accounts on December 1.

According to the notice, the information fields that the company is planning to remove include — addresses, religious views, political views and the “Interested in” section that suggests the user’s sexual orientation. The company is reportedly sending these notices to the users who have already filled out these sections in their accounts. However, this change won’t affect the remaining data along with other contact details and the basic information of the user.

Why Facebook is planning to remove these information fields
In a statement provided to TechCrunch, a Facebook spokesperson has explained why the company has decided to make such changes. As per the statement, the company is planning to make the social media platform “easier to navigate and use” and to do so, these changes are required. The spokesperson has also mentioned that these changes won’t affect users’ abilities to share their personal information elsewhere on Facebook.
As per the report, Facebook is trying to streamline the social media platform by removing comparatively outdated features. It is important to note that the information fields that Facebook has decided to remove are not offered by other social media outlets.
For example, TikTok and Instagram also let users add some personal information but that doesn’t include specific details like political or religious views. Previously, social media users were interested in filling out their profiles with additional information about themselves. Considering the recent data leaks and privacy infringements, social media users nowadays might not be comfortable sharing extra details online.
Recently, Meta has cut 11,000 jobs which makes up about 13% of the company’s entire workforce. These job cuts marked the biggest layoff in the social media giant’s history.