When you open your Facebook account as usual and suddenly you come across big banners of ads in your news feed or timeline, how do you feel? Isn’t that scary? This guide will tell you how to remove third-party Adware on Facebook and the difference between the third-party Adware and Facebook ads.
The ads which appear in the news feed or timeline which play sound or flash automatically are most probably Adware. Such adware are suspicious and a threat to your Facebook Account’s security. They may steal your personal info, current location, professional details, interests, relationship details and other personal info shared on your Facebook account. When you see any such ad on Facebook news feed or timeline, remove the adware immediately and Do Not ever click the ad.
Now, you must be confused with the adware and the Facebook sponsored ads and sponsored stories.
Difference Between Facebook Ads, Sponsored Stories and Adware on Facebook :
Facebook ads appear on the right hand sidebar. According to Facebook’s official help center
Facebook ads will never appear as banners in the top, center or left sidebar of Facebook web pages.
Facebook allows to share sponsored stories posted on Facebook pages to appear in the news feed but remember these are only posts not banners and not the ads which automatically play the video.
These adware appear due to the add-ons/Extensions or tool bars you might have enabled on your browser. You might have come across extensions or plug-ins or apps which claim that they can change your Facebook theme or you can check who have viewed your profile. Facebook policies do not allow the users to know that who views their profile. So obviously, such apps are suspicious and can be a threat to security. Some of the known adware programmes are Sweetim.com, social plus.com, Facecoolsmilyes.com. To know about all the known programs, click here.
Recommended Read : Ultimate Guide to Facebook Privacy & Security [Must Read]
Remove Adware on Facebook :
Simply disable the suspicious add-ons/extensions you have enabled on your browser and get rid of annoying adware on your Facebook timeline or news feed or even on PC.
For Google Chrome :
Windows –> On the right hand side click on Customize and Control Google Chrome –> Tools –> Extensions –> Remove Suspicious Extensions.
For Safari :
Windows –> On the Right Hand side click on Display a menu of general Safari Settings–> Preferences –> Extensions –> Uninstall
For Mozilla FireFox :
Windows –> Tools –> Add-ons –> Extensions –> Remove
For Internet Explorer:
Windows –> Tools –> Manage Add-ons –> Toolbars and Extensions –> Remove
Also remove all the suspicious Apps from your Facebook account.
Facebook Security Center has shown the guidelines on how to get rid from from adware on Facebook in the video below:
For the complete security of your Facebook account and a guide how to remove suspicious app we recommend, read How to remove spam application from Facebook account and Why you should not install Fun & Entertaining Applications on Facebook?
Recommended Read:
- Ultimate Guide To Secure Your Facebook Account [Must Read]
- Remove Your Facebook Graph Searches From Activity Log Before It Goes Public (To Read it, click here)
- How To Protect Your Facebook Account From Spam Applications
Bonus Tip: You can also use Adblock extension to block the third-party advertisement on web. This awesome add-on/Extension is available for Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera.
Do you find this article helpful?
Do you use any other tool to remove third-party adware on Facebook? Do share with us in the comments.
Stay Tuned with the Security Center of Facebook Fever for the complete security guide while enjoying the Facebook experience.
Hi Mohini,
Great share.
Through your post illustrative post, I have come to know the difference between Facebook Ads, Sponsored Stories and Adware on Facebook. However, removal of adware from widely-used browsers are quite educative. Currently, I am using AdBlock Plus which is yet another a good choice for Adware blocking.