Due to "low usage", Facebook is reportedly discontinuing several services that tracked your real-time location, including Nearby Friends, location history and background location. In a notification sent to people who have used the feature in the past, the tech giant said it will stop collecting data associated with these features on May 31 and will wipe any stored data on August 1, reports The Verge. "While we are deprecating some location-based features on Facebook due to low usage, people can still use Location Services to manage how their location information is collected and used," confirming the news, Meta spokesperson Emil Vazquez said in an emailed statement.
According to the report, this does not mean that the tech giant will stop collecting location data altogether, though. As stated in its note to users, Facebook said it will "continue collecting location information for other experiences" to serve up relevant ads and location check-ins in line with its data policy. Users can view, download or delete any location data the platform saved within the Settings and Privacy menu. Otherwise, Facebook will automatically delete any stored data related to its discontinued services on August 1, the report said.