Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users. In order to generate revenue, the company relies heavily on targeted advertising, which is made possible through the tracking of its users' online behaviour. However, Facebook’s tracking has raised numerous concerns and discussions surrounding digital ethics due to the amount of personal information being collected from its users.
The platform collects more than the average user expects including their browsing history, location data, and demographic information. This information is utilised in targeted ads, which has been viewed as an invasion of privacy. Moreover, user data is also shared with third parties, which raises further questions regarding data misuse and security.
Maybe you want to Keep your online shopping private and avoid retargeting
This article will explore the various ways Facebook collects and uses your data, and we’ll also let you know how to hide your personal information from third parties.
One of the most well-known ways that Facebook tracks its users is through the use of cookies. Cookies are small text files that are stored on a user's device when they visit a website. These files contain information about the user's browsing behaviour, such as the pages they have visited and the links they have clicked on. Facebook uses cookies to track users as they navigate the web, even when they are not on the Facebook platform. This allows the company to gather information about users' interests and preferences, which is then used to serve them targeted ads.
Another way that Facebook tracks its users is through the use of pixel tags. Pixel tags are small images that are embedded in emails or web pages. When a user opens an email or visits a webpage that contains a pixel tag, the tag sends information back to Facebook, including the user's IP address, browser type, and the date and time of the visit. This information is used to track users' online behaviour and to serve them targeted ads. Oftentimes, pixel tags are used with a user’s consent
Facebook also tracks its users through the use of mobile device tracking. Many mobile devices come with a unique device identifier, such as an IDFA or an Android Advertising ID. These identifiers can be used to track a user's behaviour across different apps, including Facebook. This allows the company to gather information about users' interests and preferences, which is then used to serve them targeted ads.
For the most part, data privacy laws require a user’s explicit consent before pixel tags can be used or before personal information is collected – allowing users to become informed about where their data is going and what type of data is being collected. However, Facebook takes advantage of the fine print in their terms and conditions, knowing that users aren’t going to read 44 pages worth of small text. This causes an ethical grey area where, yes, technically users have signed up for the platform given all of the terms and conditions, but they are still unaware of how their data is going to be used.
In addition to tracking users through cookies, pixel tags, and mobile device tracking, Facebook also tracks its users through the use of its own platform. When a user logs into Facebook, the company is able to gather information about their interests and preferences through their activity on the platform, such as the pages they have liked, the groups they have joined, and the events they have attended. This information is used to serve users targeted ads. Facebook will use your IP address to estimate your exact location, even if you opt out of location tracking – this only works for tracking outside of Facebook.
Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET recommends for all users to limit the amount of information to be sent to social media platforms such as Facebook. These days, information is seen as currency: Facebook, Instagram, and more can sell your personal data to third parties which can then either send you targeted ads, or be used unethically.
Moore states “With data being the preferred currency of current times, it is no wonder personal information is so sought after. It is used as part of a massive algorithmmassive algorithm honed in on each and every user to profit from via analysing our movements and purchases”.
The tracking of Facebook users for targeted advertising has several implications for user privacy and autonomy. One of the most significant concerns is the potential for targeted advertising to perpetuate biases and discrimination. For example, if a user is shown ads for high-paying jobs, they may be more likely to apply for those jobs, and if a user is shown ads for expensive products, they may be more likely to purchase those products. This can lead to a self-fulfilling cycle of privilege and disadvantage as users are roped into making decisions that otherwise would not have been made if not for targeted ads.
Another concern is the potential for targeted advertising to manipulate users' behaviour. For example, if a user is shown ads for a particular political candidate, they may be more likely to vote for that candidate, regardless of their own beliefs or preferences. This can lead to a loss of autonomy and an erosion of democracy. This is most famously demonstrated through the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica controversy during the 2010s, whereby a lawsuit determined that Facebook violated numerous consumer privacy laws by sharing personal user data with a political consultancy. This entity (Cambridge Analytica) was a firm believed to support Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 – meaning that this user data was manipulated to strengthen the Trump campaign without user consent.
Learn more about Track Online Privacy Issues When Shopping
You can also choose to hide ads from specific advertisers. To do this:
Facebook shows users targeted ads that are also based on topics that they might be interested in, such as sports, makeup, technology, etc.. To adjust these topics:
Please be aware that this will only affect the ads you see on Facebook. If you want to limit tracking and targeted ads on other websites, you may want to consider using browser extensions such as "uBlock Origin" or "Ghostery" which can help block third-party trackers.
Learn how to Unsubscribe from Pesky Marketing Emails
In conclusion, Facebook tracks its users through a variety of methods, such as cookies, pixel tags, mobile device tracking, and its own platform, in order to serve targeted ads. This tracking has several implications for user privacy and autonomy, including the potential for targeted advertising to perpetuate biases and discrimination and the potential to manipulate users' behaviour. It's important for users to be aware of these implications and to take steps to protect their privacy, such as using privacy-enhancing tools and adjusting their Facebook settings.
Although we’ve given you some comprehensive tips so that you are shown less targeted ads, it is unfortunately still up to the user to consistently change their ad settings. Facebook will always find different categories and advertisers to show you ads from to make money, and it is the user’s burden to hide these ads.
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