How to Minimize Facebook Ads That Track You

To serve advertisers better, Facebook developed an advanced system of tracking user behavior to provide ads specific to the users’ interests. The system monitors your profile information and your behavior on Facebook and elsewhere. Many people find this kind of tracking and targeted advertising to be a privacy concern, while some appreciate seeing targeted ads instead of random ads.

Here’s how to change, restrict, manage, and deny ad permissions on Facebook.

1. Launch Facebook in a web browser and select the Account icon (downward triangle).

   

2. Select Settings & Privacy.

   

3. Select Settings.

   

4. From the menu on the left, select Ads.

   

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5. With the Advertisers tab selected, you’ll see advertisers you’ve seen recently. Select Hide Ads to hide ads from these advertisers.

   

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   On this page, you can also see advertisers you’ve hidden and advertisers whose ads you’ve clicked.

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6. With the Ad Topics tab selected, view and manage ad topics. Select Show Fewer to see fewer ads about a specific topic.

   

   Select Undo to remove any topic restrictions.

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7. With the Ad Settings tab selected, manage the data used to show you ads. Select Data about your activity from partners to allow or deny Facebook permission to show you personalized ads based on your activity.

   

8. Under Choose where we can use data from our partners to show you personalized ads, select Facebook and/or Instagram. Or, leave these toggles off to deny permission for Facebook or Instagram to show you personalized ads based on data about your activity from their partners.

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10. Select Categories Used to Reach You to allow or deny advertisers access to your profile information.

    

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11. To choose whether your profile information can be used to show you ads, turn on or off any demographic category, such as Employer, Education, Job Title, and Relationship Status.

    

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12. Under Interests and Other Categories Used to Reach You, select Interest Categories and Other Categories to remove yourself from a demographic category, such as online shopping or parenting.

    

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13. Select Audience Based Advertising to see advertisers who include you in their audience demographics to show you ads.

    

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14. You’ll see a list of advertisers whose audiences include you and for whom you may see ads.

    

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15. Select an advertiser to see more information about the company and why you’re included in its audience. For example, they may have uploaded or used a list to reach you. Select the reason to restrict the advertiser’s access to you.

    

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16. Choose whether this advertiser’s lists can be used to show you ads. Select Don’t Allow to deny permission. You can also select Don’t Allow to stop yourself from being excluded from certain ads.

    

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17. Select Ads Shown Off of Facebook to allow or deny advertisers to reach you off Facebook.

    

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18. Select Allowed or Not Allowed to permit or deny Facebook advertisers from reaching you on other platforms, such as partner network websites.

    

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How Targeted Facebook Ads Work

Facebook sponsored ads are so relevant to user interests and behaviors that many Facebook users think Facebook is eavesdropping on conversations. The reality isn’t quite that sinister.

Facebook uses all information it can gather about you to show you more relevant sponsored advertising.

Personal Information Facebook Gathers

• Location
• Age and gender
• Where you’ve worked or gone to school
• Your family members and relationships
• Any other details in your profile

Promises Facebook Makes to Advertisers

Targeted advertising doesn’t stop with your profile. When Facebook sells ads to advertisers, they promise advertisers that Facebook users can be targeted based on:

• Ads you click on
• Pages and groups you engage with
• How you use your device and your “travel preferences”
• The type of mobile device you use and your internet connection speed

All of this information leads to very accurate and relevant sponsored advertising.

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READ ALSO:

Why a Facebook Watch Is a Bad Idea

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