Facebook has announced that it will be updating the way it tells you why you’re seeing certain ads. Starting 28 February 2019, the “Why am I seeing this ad?” button will come with detailed information, including a timeline, of who uploaded your contact details and who the details were shared with, before the ad finally makes its way to you.
The way it is now, Facebook only tells you what brand is using your info for targeting ads. It doesn’t tell you if it got the information first hand, or if it came from someone or somewhere else.
A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch that the goal is give people a better understanding of the way advertisers use their info. This could help users identify what part of their info made them targeted by advertisers. In turn, users may also be more careful about what sort of information they put on the internet.
In a way, it’s a good thing that you’ll soon know who has your data and which part of your details are used to identify you for targeted ads. This will also help Facebook deter others from uploading your info without consent, seeing how they’re about to become more easily identifiable.
(Source: TechCrunch)
