Facebook Follows its Users across Cyberspace

Facebook Follows its Users across Cyberspace

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Aug 06, 2014

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you can feel someone watching you, but when you look over there’s no one there? Or, how about chowing down at your favorite restaurant only to discover that every time you look up from your plate, a person is staring at you from across the room? Annoying, right? Well, believe it or not, this is what Facebook is doing to its users.

Facebook Follows its Users across CyberspaceSimply put, Facebook is following us.

According to the social media giant, they follow us when we surf the web and use apps on our smartphone for “marketing research,” for lack of a better term, to create ads that appeal specifically to us.

On the flip side, Facebook is becoming more transparent, noted as the first major Internet company to offer an explanation as to why we’re seeing certain ads and will even allow us to control the types of ads we see in the future, if we know where to look.

How to Stop Facebook from Aiming Specific Ad Topics at You

  1. Find an ad and click on the corner icon.
  2. Select “Why am I seeing this?” from the menu.
  3. An explanation will pop up.
  4. Under the explanation click the “View and manage your ad preferences” link.
  5. Facebook’s data they have gathered about you will show and you can edit the list.

NOTE: If you remove all topics, Facebook will keep your gender, age and where you live in their ad-targeting system.

How to Stop Facebook (and other companies) From Tracking You

If your browser keeps cookies, there’s nothing you can do to prevent any company from tracking you; however, you can stop them from using that information to deliver ads. All you have to do is register with each company that tracks you and opt out at www.aboutads.info/choices/.

How to Stop Facebook from Knowing Your Smartphone’s Location

Turn off location sharing. For iPhone, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Location Services and flip the Facebook switch off.

How to Stop Facebook from Using App Data

This requires telling your smartphone, not Facebook. For iPhone, go to Settings, then Privacy, then advertising and turn on “Limit Ad Tracking.” For Droids, go to Settings, then Accounts, then select Google and then Ads. Click “Opt out of interest-based ads.”

The harsh reality of taking our privacy into our own hands when it comes to Facebook? The company can change the rules at any time.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • The Key to Wellbeing in the Office

    A few years ago, all we saw in the news was the ‘great resignation.’ Now we have another ‘great’ to deal with. According to CBRE, 2023 was the start of the ‘great return’ as office workers returned to their normal offices after working from home. The data shows that two-thirds of all U.S office buildings were more than 90% leased as of Q2 2023. Read Now

  • Failed Cybersecurity Controls Costing U.S. Businesses $30 Billion Yearly

    Panaseer recently released ControlWatch and the Continuous Controls Battle: Panaseer 2025 Security Leaders Report examining the cost of cybersecurity control failures and the impact of growing personal liability for security failings on security leaders. The report analyzes the findings of a survey of 400 security decision makers (SDMs) across the US and UK. It shows that security leaders feel under increasing pressure to provide assurances around cybersecurity, exposing them to greater personal risk – yet many lack the data and resources to accurately report and close cybersecurity gaps. Read Now

  • The Business Case for Video Analytics: Understanding the Real ROI

    For security professionals who may be hesitant to invest in video analytics, now's the time to reconsider. In a newly released Omdia report commissioned by BriefCam (now Milestone Systems), the research firm uncovered a compelling story: more than 85% of North American and European organizations that use video analytics achieve a return on investment within just one year. The study, which surveyed 140 end users across multiple industries, demonstrates that security technology is no longer just for security — it's a cross-organizational tool that delivers measurable business value far beyond traditional safety applications. Read Now

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3