If you use FB, you have to be logged in and actively engaged by you providing your identity to use it. Google can be used without logging in or tracking. That

If you use FB, you have to be logged in and actively engaged by you providing your identity to use it. Google can be used without logging in or tracking. That is the critical difference for me - to use Facebook you have to actively be part of the social graph and share your identity. Google wants you to sign in, but you don't have to (apart from Gmail etc) To block tracking from most people you can: * Block third party cookies in your browser. * Use DuckDuckGo. * Block ads. * Use a VPN (to get differing IP addresses). This will neuter 99% of tracking approaches that rely on cookies, IP matching, purchase history, or being logged in. For Google and others too. Some will use more exotic approaches to tracking (e.g. canvas fingerprints) but there is a browser extension arms race to handle that. The first 3 of those things take 90 seconds to do once then forget about and never deal with again. It's not hard. VPNs are more commitment and come with their own problems, but add some extra obfuscation. If you don't want to use android then obviously you can get another phone. Firefox is viable again these days. There are fewer and fewer excuses for this attitude - Google is not inescapable IMO, but you cannot escape Facebook if you want to use it. It just comes down to how much you care and how much you value their services - you might need to ask yourself some hard questions about what you really value and what you are prepared to go without before complaining about how these companies are run in order to offer you free services. (views are my own opinion) edit: perhaps I wasn't clear: ad blockers and/or disallowing third party cookies will prevent Facebook like buttons (or tracking pixels from other parties) from tracking you as effectively, especially if you cycle your IP addresses with a VPN. You just look like a totally different user each time.