How To Control The Ads Facebook Displays

If you use Facebook, then you know that the social networking site serves ads based upon your interests. And, you''d probably be surprised at what Facebook thinks you are interested in versus what you are really interested in.

To see what Facebook thinks you are interested in, you will need to access your Ad Preferences page. Sign into your Facebook account using the browser interface, and click on the triangle drop-down menu icon in the upper right corner. Next select Settings, and then select Ads in the left column. Your Ad Preferences page looks like this:

Facebook has neatly organized what it thinks your interests are into several categories: Your Interests, Advertisers You've Interacted With, Your Information, and Ad Settings. Open the Your Interests module:

This module includes several sub-categories: News & Entertainment, Business & Industry, Hobbies & Activities, Travel Places, & Events, People, Technology, and Lifestyle. Mouse over an item to reveal both an explanation why that item appears in your list and the "X" delete button. Click on the "X" button to remove that item.

Facebook has collected impressively long lists about what it thinks your interests are. So, click on the "See More" links within each sub-category. Facebook ads interest items based upon links you've selected, groups you've joined, ads you have viewed, the photos/videos you have uploaded, items (e.g., groups, events, status messages) you have "Liked," and more. There's plenty to browse, so you'll probably want to set aside 15 minutes to review and delete items.

There is a sneaky aspect to Facebook's interface. An item may appear in several categories. So, if you delete it in one category don't assume it was deleted in other categories. You'll have to visit each sub-category and delete it there, too. And, there is no guarantee Facebook won't re-add that item later based upon your activities within the site and/or mobile app.

Caution: even if you delete everything, Facebook will still show advertisements. Why? That's what the social networking service is designed to do. That's its business model. Even if you stop clicking "Like" buttons, Facebook will use alternate criteria to display ads. You can control or limit the topics for ads, but you can't stop ads entirely.

The Your Information module includes toggle switches to either activate or deactivate groups of items within your profile which Facebook uses to display ads:

It's probably wise to re-visit your Ad Preference page once yearly to delete items. What do you think?

Comments

[Chanson de Roland]

Wouldn't it be easier just to not use Facebook. But there is a problem for those of you who have used Facebook: Facebook is like the Hotel California: You can checkout, but you can never leave. Once you've joined Facebook, it will retain and use for its benefit, especially for its profits, any information and knowledge about you that it acquired, while you were a member. Even your death won't release Facebook's legal grip on your information, so even after you checkout, you can't leave Facebook.

So before joining Facebook, look up at the sign over the entrance: Give up all right to privacy and control of the use of your information, ye who enter here.

Of course, the damn scoundrels at Facebook will try to track and acquire you even if you don't join Facebook by tracking you on third-party websites, so that you will be in the Facebook even without checking in.

You can checkout, but you can never leave.