If you’ve ever walked by a store and noticed a Facebook ad for that exact location, it’s not just a coincidence.
Facebook is targeted users through its “local awareness” advertisements. If you have location services enabled on your phone, Facebook is most likely delivering ads based on where you are.
Read more: Update your privacy settings if you don’t want Facebook’s new ads stalking you
This is how Facebook is tracking you in stores
Some people, especially older generations, consider this an invasion of privacy. But Facebook says you will remain anonymous when it shares data with the stores that pay for the ads, WCPO-TV reports.
This video explains the business side of how these ads show up in your feed:
What you can do
Most Facebook users realize they give up information with every Facebook like, comment and share. And these local awareness ads are Facebook’s way of making money off your digital footprint.
If you don’t want local awareness ads, simply turn your phone’s location services off.
And if these ads make you uncomfortable, you might want to opt out of Facebook’s new targeted ads, which track you on and off the social network.
You’ll still see ads after you make this change, they just won’t be as relevant to you.
Opt out of Facebook’s targeted ads:
- Open Facebook and click the down arrow in the upper right corner and go to Settings, then click Ads on the left menu.
- Look for “Ads on apps and websites off of the Facebook Companies.”
- Click Edit and change your preference to No.
While you’re making this change, you can also turn off the settings for “Ads based on my use of websites and apps” and “Ads with my social actions.”
Read more: 7 steps to create safer passwords for all your online accounts
