You’re going to hear plenty about Facebook and their rather wanton approach to keeping your data safe in the weeks to follow, and we have already spoken about how you might want to look at which apps are accessing your data here.

If you haven’t followed the advice of WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton and deleted Facebook, you’ll probably want to make a few more changes in the Facebook ‘Ad Preferences‘ section.

That would be where you can find some of the mountains of information the social media giant has on you – in particular, as the name suggests, which advertisers might want to come after you.

Business Insider has a full breakdown, so let’s start with the basics of that ‘Ad Preferences’ section:

Facebook keeps track of anything you “Like” as you use its service…

Facebook also tracks what you do on the internet. Plus, every time you use Facebook to log in to apps on your phone it tracks that information…

If you’re not brand new to Facebook, there are likely pages and pages of data on you.

Yeah, all of that is used to figure out how best to advertise to your interests.

After scanning all this stuff you do online, Facebook builds a profile about you, which you can see by clicking on “your categories.” This is info Facebook shares with advertisers.

For me, it determined things about my family life, where I live, and what kind of tech I use. There is a lot of information about me that Facebook keeps track of and then uses to allow advertisers to target ads to people like me who share similar interests.

I think you’re getting the picture.

Facebook’s ‘Ad Preferences‘ page – do some digging and you might be surprised.

Use it, don’t use it – I know there are many people who don’t really care what Facebook does with their data.

Tailored adverts might make your Facebook experience better, but when that info falls into the wrong hands we end up with an orange toolbox running the land of the free.

[source:businsider]