Facebook Extends Tracking, but Allows Ad Profile Edit

Facebook has announced that it will begin tracking users' behaviour on other web sites as well as its own, in order to target advertising more effectively. An opt-out will be available, in addition to the option to see why an ad has been served, and to edit one's own advertising profile.

The service will be rolled out 'in the coming weeks' in the US, and in other parts of the world later in the year. Facebook has hitherto based targeting specifically on Facebook activity, including pages liked and visited, but it says it will not be collecting new data for this service - it already has access to it from sites with the Facebook conversion pixel and apps using its SDK.

The 'ad preferences' feature, giving users control over what ads they see, is a break from the practices of most online ad targeters. In addition to the industry standard AdChoices triangle logo (pictured), developed and promoted by the Digital Advertising Alliance, ads will feature an arrow in the top right hand corner, leading to a menu of four options: 'this ad is useful'; 'I don't want to see this'; 'hide all from this advertiser'; and 'why am I seeing this ad?' Clicking on the last of these will give the user a summary of how their online behavior has led to the ad being selected: and allow them to delete parts of their profile they don't want, for example corresponding to types of product or service.

Facebook says the move comes is in part a response to users' expressed wish 'to see ads that are more relevant to their interests' - but it does also indicate a continuing rejection of the 'do-not-track' settings on Web browsers, on which Facebook says there is 'no industry consensus' - a similar argument to that used by Yahoo! last month. Google does not honor DNT requests but at present, Twitter and Microsoft do.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.