What most Facebook users don’t know is that the site gives them some control over ads they see.
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Facebook has succeeded in the mobile ads business by finding ways to match users with businesses in a way that doesn’t look like the firm is forcing ads down the throats of users. Any activity is monitored to facilitate ad-relevancy.
Now, the company is to let advertisers use browsing data obtained when its users click on Like and Share buttons that have existed on external sites since they first launched in 2010.
The move could attract hackles on issues to do with user privacy.
Facebook has more than 1.4B monthly active users and the firm recorded $4.04B in revenues in Q2 2015. Even sensitive matters such as your health information can be revealed by going through your subscribed pages.
This allows Facebook ads to be blocked from the company’s site, instead of having to use other services.
“The “new” setting only determines whether or not Facebook will use its tracking data for ad purposes. Facebook only promises to no longer use this information for the purposes of interest-based advertising”, Van Alsenoy added.
The social network disputed the claims, saying that the report did not understand Facebook’s use of data.
Last week, Stephen Deadman, Facebook’s Global Deputy Chief Privacy Officer, wrote on the official Facebook blog that recently, FB began ramping up more targeted ads in order to improve the ad experience for us (OK, fam), but that there’s a new way that we can control these ads.
To customise specific topics for targeted ads, click the Edit button next to “Adverts based on my preferences”, then select Visit Advert Preferences.
Ads based on my preferences – Ads are shown to you based on things you like (which are based on likes on Facebook).
Users will have an elevated level of control over the ads that appear on their news feeds by being given tools to turn them off. Users will then be able to opt out across over 100 companies, including the Digital Advertising Alliance AdChoices program.
Ads on Facebook, regardless of whether you are using the Web version or an application, are controlled in the preferences.
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Last week, we reported that Facebook plans to roll out a button similar to the Like button that expresses emotions.
