Facebook wants to use your likes in advertising

Effective immediately, if you like something on Facebook, you are allowing the company to use your postings and other personal data they know about you in advertising. Even minors are subject to being featured in ads, the company revealed in a recent blog post.

“Everyone wants to know what their friends like,” according to Facebook. “That’s why we pair ads and friends—an easy way to find products and services you’re interested in, based on what your friends share and like.”

Originally, Facebook allowed parents to restrict the use of kids’ likes in advertising. But now they’re saying, “Tough.” No additional consent from a parent or guardian is needed for them to do this. To me that’s Clarkrageous. The good news is teens are having their own revenge as they migrate away from Facebook to other social media.

Fortunately, you can control how your social actions are paired with ads. Simply click here and then select your preference beneath the picture of the sample ad.

But here’s a warning for Facebook: Be careful. If you don’t keep your heart about business in the right place, you won’t have that business anymore. As long as you keep in mind that what’s best for customers is best for business, you win. The minute you start turning away from that, your customers lose and eventually you don’t have the customers.

For further reading:

• Opt out of Google’s invasion of your privacy
• Facebook virus could steal your money
• Do you play Angry Birds? There might be a check coming your way