Facebook Wants to Tell You What Advertisers Know about You

Facebook is trying to be more transparent.

Given the recent Cambridge Analytica fiasco, it makes sense for Facebook to try to redeem itself in our eyes. Remember when we told you that nearly 1 in 10 Americans have deleted their Facebook accounts? Well, the company is now trying to become more transparent, especially when it comes to its advertisers and the information that they receive regarding the user base. Advertisers rely heavily on targeted ads these days, which benefit them and the user, at least in theory. However, there’s a fine line that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to sharing user information.

Facebook’s Hard Questions series.

During a recent update of Facebook‘s Hard Questions, Rob Goldman, Vice President of Ads has revealed some interesting things about the social media giant’s policy. During the presentation, Goldman highlighted three main ways that advertisers can use to reach you with ads.

The first manner involves information that you share willingly using the social network. This includes your age, hometown, and gender. The second method relies on advertisers bringing information such as e-mail addresses to Facebook. The social network can then find accounts that match that specific data, but apparently, it doesn’t share the results with the advertiser. Finally, ad campaigns can also benefit greatly from Facebook tools.

In any case, as a Facebook user, you can always remove any interests associated with your account from the “ad preferences” panel. This won’t be enough to get rid of ads forever, but it does put some power in your hands.