Facebook now shares your web browsing history with advertisers

[techbeck]

Facebook is planning to start using app and website information from users? browsing habits to target them with more relevant ads. The change will allow advertisers to glean more information on Facebook users to the extent where browsing websites for a new TV may lead to TV deals being displayed within Facebook. It?s an interest-based form of advertising that?s used widely on the web, but Facebook has previously only ever used the tracking data for security reasons. Today?s changes, which roll out to US Facebook users soon, mean consumers will need to opt-out with the Digital Advertising Alliance to prevent their browsing habits being shared with Facebook advertisers.

 

While the change will likely trigger privacy concerns and complaints, Facebook appears to be preempting any feedback by announcing improved privacy controls alongside its ads changes. In the coming weeks, Facebook will add a drop-down menu to its ads. If you?re not interested in a particular subject then you can remove that from your ad interests to make sure you never see a similar ad again. The new tool will launch in the US initially, and Facebook says it?s "working hard to expand globally in the coming months."

 

More...

http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/12/5803080/facebook-advertising-browsing-habits-sharing

[spenser.d]

Honestly I thought they already did this...

[jakem1]

 

Facebook is planning to start using app and website information from users? browsing habits to target them with more relevant ads. The change will allow advertisers to glean more information on Facebook users to the extent where browsing websites for a new TV may lead to TV deals being displayed within Facebook. It?s an interest-based form of advertising that?s used widely on the web, but Facebook has previously only ever used the tracking data for security reasons. Today?s changes, which roll out to US Facebook users soon, mean consumers will need to opt-out with the Digital Advertising Alliance to prevent their browsing habits being shared with Facebook advertisers.

 

While the change will likely trigger privacy concerns and complaints, Facebook appears to be preempting any feedback by announcing improved privacy controls alongside its ads changes. In the coming weeks, Facebook will add a drop-down menu to its ads. If you?re not interested in a particular subject then you can remove that from your ad interests to make sure you never see a similar ad again. The new tool will launch in the US initially, and Facebook says it?s "working hard to expand globally in the coming months."

 

More...

http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/12/5803080/facebook-advertising-browsing-habits-sharing

 

 

How does that aleviate privacy concerns?  It sounds like they're just harvesting more information about you to allow them to target their ads even more specifically.

[spenser.d]

How does that aleviate privacy concerns? It sounds like they're just harvesting more information about you to allow them to target their ads even more specifically.

Because you get to tell them not to send any more data about particular browsing choices to advertisers. The end result of which is more targeted stuff. That tool isn't new though, they use it on their current ads. I've used it many times and it works pretty well.

[Phouchg]

Their site, their business. Sleazy spitsack business, but a business nevertheless.

 

Now, I'd completely support to actually pay monthly or annual subscription (like Neowin allows us to) for such sites (and many others) instead of them shoveling ads and selling us out. Why isn't it being offered anywhere? People feel too friggin entitled to things. Everything must be "free".

[DeltaXray]

I'm almost certain they already do it.

 

In fact most of the internet does it.  This very website does it.  If you access the neowin main page you will see ads from Amazon for items you have recently searched for.  If anything they are slow if they aren't doing it already.

[jakem1]

Because you get to tell them not to send any more data about particular browsing choices to advertisers. The end result of which is more targeted stuff. That tool isn't new though, they use it on their current ads. I've used it many times and it works pretty well.

 

 

That's my point.  You end up giving them more information about your likes/dislikes so they can refine their advertising further.  I don't see how you saying that you don't like a particular ad will result in them sending less browsing info.  It just means you'll get a different set of ads.

[Daedroth]

I'm no fan of my online information being shared around, but this is something that Google have been doing (or at least something similar) for a good few years at least now. It isn't a far stretch of the imagination to think other companies would want to cash in using similar methods.