Facebook has finally launched a new bulk app removal tool to help you protect your data.

The tool helps Facebook users to cut their connection to third-party 'vampire apps' that they no longer want to have access to their data.

The world's largest social media company is under pressure to improve its handling of data after disclosing that information about 50 million Facebook users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

The new feature is part of a series of rapid changes the social media giant is making to mitigate fallout from the scandal.

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Facebook has launched a new bulk app removal tool to help you protect your data. The tool (pictured) helps Facebook users to cut their connection to third-party apps that they no longer want to have access to their data. To access it, head to Facebook's app settings page

A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch: 'We already show people what apps their accounts are connected to and control what data they've permitted those apps to use.

'In the coming month, we're going to make these choices more prominent and easier to manage.'

To access the feature, go to the Apps section in your Facebook settings.

From here, you can view all third-party apps with access to information stored on your profile under the 'Logged in with Facebook' section.

Tick the box next to any apps you'd rather delete and then select 'remove'.

Apps with access to your data are listed in Facebook's app settings under 'Logged in with Facebook'. Check the box next to any you wish to delete and select 'remove'. This will prompt a box (pictured) asking if you also want to delete posts, photos and videos from that app

Previously, you had to delete third-party apps on Facebook one-by-one, but the new tool allows you to remove multiple developers at once

HOW DOES FACEBOOK'S NEW BULK APP REMOVAL TOOL WORK? Facebook has added a new way to remove third-party apps from your profile in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The tool helps users to delete unwanted apps that may be storing their information. To access the feature, go to the Apps section in your Facebook settings. This is found by clicking on the downward-facing arrow in the upper right of the main desktop on a computer, or or on mobile by tapping on the three horizontal lines on the navigation bar and scrolling to the bottom. From here, you can view all third-party apps with access to information stored on your profile under the 'Logged in with Facebook' section. Tick the box next to any apps you'd rather delete and then select 'remove'. Confirm your choice by tapping 'remove' again in the resulting popup box. Within this box, Facebook gives you the option to also delete all posts, photos and videos on the platform posted for you by that app. Advertisement

A confirmation popup box then appears giving you the option to also delete all posts, photos and videos on Facebook posted by that app.

Previously, you had to delete third-party apps on Facebook one-by-one, but the new tool allows you to remove multiple developers at once.

As part of the new change, Facebook said it will automatically remove any third-party apps that have not been accessed by the user for three months.

Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal last month people have flocked to remove apps they no longer use from their profile.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted last month his firm 'made mistakes' leading up to the Cambridge Analytica scandal (stock)

Each time you connect an app you give it permission to record details about you, but the full extent of this access has only come to light in the wake of the scandal.

Last month, users shared their shock on Twitter upon discovering that thousands of software plugins for Facebook had been gathering their data.

Some of the better known apps connected to people's profiles included those of popular sites like Amazon, Buzzfeed, Expedia, Etsy, Instagram, Spotify and Tinder.

Many users chose to manually remove permissions previously granted to each individual app used with Facebook, a time consuming process that has now been sped up with the addition of the new tool.

It remains unclear whether removing the apps allows users to claw back data previously shared via third-parties.

WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL? Communications firm Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia. The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action' through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists. 'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website. The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured), after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump This meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so. This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box. The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump. This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign in the UK. Advertisement

The panic follows revelations that data gathered by a quiz app called This Is Your Digital Life, used by 270,000 Facebook users in 2015, was sold on to Cambridge Analytica after being created by Kogan.

Cambridge Analytica is currently embroiled in a privacy row amid accusations the information was used by the Trump campaign to influence the US presidential elections, as well as to boost the Brexit campaign in the UK.

The head of the firm, Alexander Nix, was suspended in March after Channel 4 News broadcast hidden camera footage of him suggesting the company could use young women to catch opposition politicians in compromising positions.

Footage also showed Nix bragging about the firm's pivotal role in the Trump campaign.

Nix said Cambridge Analytica handled 'all the data, all the analytics, all the targeting' for the Trump campaign, and used emails with a 'self-destruct timer' to make the firm's role more difficult to trace.

'There's no evidence, there's no paper trail, there's nothing,' he said.

The head of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix (pictured), was suspended in March after Channel 4 News broadcast hidden camera footage of him suggesting the company could use young women to catch opposition politicians in compromising positions

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted last month his firm 'made mistakes' leading up to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Commenting on the scandal for the first time, Zuckerberg said Facebook had a 'responsibility' to protect its users' data.

'If we can't then we don't deserve to serve you,' he wrote.

Facebook has drawn criticism from politicians on both sides of the Atlantic for its alleged failure to protect users' privacy.

Facebook allows you to connect plugin apps specially designed to work with the social network, ranging from games and entertainment to fast-food delivery. Each time you connect an app you are giving it permission to record details about you (stock)

Sandy Parakilas, who worked in data protection for Facebook in 2011 and 2012, told a UK parliamentary committee in March that the company was vigilant about its network security but lax when it came to protecting users' data.

He said personal data including email addresses and in some cases private messages was allowed to leave Facebook servers with no real controls on how the data was used after that.

Facebook allows you to connect plugin apps specially designed to work with the social network, ranging from games and entertainment to fast-food delivery.

WHO ARE THE DATA VAMPIRES MINING FOR INFO ON FACEBOOK? Facebook’s latest scandal involving communications firm Cambridge Analytica has served as a startling wake-up call for many users on the countless companies mining our social data. Through a feature that meant apps could ask for permission not only to your data, but that of your Facebook friends as well, the firm was able to mine the information of million of users. And, only 270,000 had given them permission to do so. In 2014, Facebook changed its rules so that apps could no longer obtain data about a person’s friends unless those users had also authorized the app. Still, Cambridge Analytica is far from the only firm to have access to Facebook users’ data. By connecting your Facebook profile to a third-party app, you’re typically also granting that app permission to access your data. You can check which apps your Facebook account is sharing data with by clicking here. To view the apps you've given permission to (as shown above), go to Settings > Apps That includes your name, profile picture, cover photo, gender, networks, username and user ID. These apps can also access your friends list, and any other public data. Once the outside parties have access to your data, they can then use it to track different types of activity. Many popular apps such as Instagram, Spotify, Airbnb, and Tinder can be connected to your Facebook account. Just weeks ago, for example, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe bragged that the company stores 'an enormous amount of information' about users, and even tracks where they go after the movies. MoviePass is also among the many apps that can be connected to your Facebook. And, it doesn’t stop there. Facebook users are waking up to just how much of their private information they have accidentally handed over to third-party apps. Social media users are sharing their shock at discovering thousands of software plugins have been gathering their data Taking Facebook quizzes from third-party services, or doing image generators (such as the ever-popular ‘What Would Your Baby Look Like, or What Would You Look Like As The Opposite Sex), also often gives outside firms access to your data. While these are usually preceded by a pop-up asking permission to access certain parts of your profile, many users have taken to clicking through without thoroughly reading what they’ve just agreed to. Some users are now expressing their horror upon realizing they’ve granted permission to hundreds of third-party apps. Other apps that have experienced viral popularity over the last few years, such as Facetune and Meitu, can access your Facebook data as well. Advertisement

Among those affected are Ross McGuinness, who said: 'My Facebook is connected to 126 different apps! Time to delete every single one'

Jason Abbruzzese said: 'Went to check how many apps I've connected to through Facebook and… aaaaaaaaaaccckkkkkk'