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September 21, 2015

Facebook mines user data for targeted ads

Some of the ads can be turned off.

By CBR Staff Writer

Starting next month, Facebook ads will become more personalised from the data it will collect from users likes, shares and by tracking other social widgets embedded in millions of websites and apps.

The social networking giant is trying to tailor ads that are more relevant to the user’s interests, with the new ads based on their profile, liked Pages and other web-surfing habits and apps that they use.

The company was previously accused of intruding into user’s behaviour when it introduced its interest-based advertising, which relies on user data and usage of apps and other websites.

However, a Facebook spokesperson then responded by saying that the data collection was no different from the trackers that other major websites employ to gauge visitors’ web browsing habits.

The company has continued to stash away data and last year it announced that the data collected would be moved into its advertising algorithms.

However, this time around, it is providing users with options to filter the ads. The social media giant will allow users to turn off some of the ads through it will still be collecting the data.

Facebook global deputy chief privacy officer Stephen Deadman said: "We hope that the ads people see will continue to become more useful and relevant and that this new control will make it easier for people to have the ads experience they want."

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