Pew Research: 74pct Facebook Users Still Don't Realise How Its Ads Work

[engine]

According to the latest Pew research, 74% of Facebook users didn't realise the company is profiling them for ad targeting. In addition, 51% told researchers that they wern't comfortable with Facebook collating this information.
Once users were directed to their ad preferences page, 27% of users commented that it wasn't an accurate representation of them and their interests. That may, of course, explain why some of the ad targeting isn't working.

It's really worth a read of the whole document.
[techcrunch.com...]

If you're on FB and want to look at your own ad setting, use the drop down arrow at the top right of Facebook and select from the menu on the left "Ads" Once there, you can investigate and change as appropriate.

[tangor]

These companies rely on the normal line of least resistance to get their profits. The TOS from all of these companies is utter rubbish for revealing in clear language what is going on ... though if you take the time to read them it is in there... provided the legalese does not turn you into a zombie before that enlightenment.

[NickMNS]

74% of Facebook users didn't realise the company is profiling them for ad targeting

...and the remaining 26% that did realise it are bots.

[engine]

It's worth thinking about how people click without reading the TOS. I'm generalising, of course, but, people do tend to skip the very long terms, with, sometimes, many hundreds of points.

Things should not be like that, and I suspect it will change, but not for quite a while.

If more people thought about their data i think that social media businesses woulf be challenged to change things.
It's in their hands.

[tangor]

Sadly, we live in a world of instant gratification (won't comment on how "we" got there) and folks just can't seem to be bothered about a TOS that gets between what they want.

And that's what GDPR (among other things) is all about. (sigh)

The USA is also waking up to what's been happening and this year or next, some action might be started to protect user data/privacy.

[engine]

GDPR is a start, agreed, but it's not yet resulted in the shortening the legalese that many TOS hide behind.

[tangor]

Clear speak is the death of devious. After all, TANSTAAFL!