Hell – Facebook Ad.
So I took the time to download my entire Facebook data file, unzip the files and peruse it. If you want to do the same, go here https://www.facebook.com/settings
or for instance, read the instructions Abby Ohlheiser wrote in the WaPo:
In the Facebook settings for your account — right below the link to deactivate it — there’s an option to download a copy of all your Facebook data. The file can be a creepy wake-up call: All those years of browsing the News Feed, and sharing selfies, engagements and birthday wishes on Facebook have taught the company quite a lot about you. You, the user, are part of the reason that Facebook has become so good at targeting ads. You’re giving them everything they need to do it.
Here’s a link that will take you right to the settings page, if you’re logged in to your account. One there, click on the link to download your archive, and follow the prompts
(click here to continue reading Here’s how to download all your data from Facebook. It might be a wake-up call. – The Washington Post.)
I was curious what exactly Facebook knows, especially since I’ve always been somewhat cautious about what I post there. At least I thought I was careful. Turns out Facebook has a huge list of people from my address book, most of which are not actual friends on Facebook1 or several deceased people. I guess one time Facebook copied my phonebook? A lot of the data is old, and not up to date, but there it is anyway.
Then there is the Facebook advertising selects (listed below because it is a big freaking list)
Facebook Login
This is what Facebook has in its database for me. If a corporation or other entity wanted to advertise to someone with any ((or multiple) of these selects, huh. Good luck is what I say. Would I agree this list gives an accurate composite of my interests? Hell no, not even in the ballpark. Some of these are probably relevant, maybe 1/4 are actual interests of mine, some of these are vaguely relevant, 50% maybe, and the rest are just way off the mark. I’ve long used Ghostery to block many cookies, but obviously that isn’t infallible, especially because smartphones didn’t have ad blockers until recently.
Ads Topics
- Design
- Greg Palast
- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
- Coffee
- The Criterion Collection
- Photograph
- Comedian
- Shopping
- Bloom County
- Computer network
- Austin, Texas
- Bo Spellerberg
- Guam
- Near West Side, Chicago
- CREDO Mobile
- Folk rock
- Bernie Sanders
- Brewery
- Zappos
- Comic strip
- Democracy
- Blog
- mother jones
- Neighbourhood
- Inside Björk
- Current events
- City
- Elizabeth Warren
- Rick Bayless
- Handball
- Ringer (TV series)
- Brewing
- Led Zeppelin
- Apple Inc.
- Björk
- Andy Borowitz
- Volta (album)
- Online shopping
- nbc today show
- Visit Austin, Texas
- Barack Obama
- Toronto
- Bill Moyers
- Tidbits
- Björk (album)
- Country music
- Camper Van Beethoven
- Australian Labor Party
- Mother Jones (magazine)
- Nations Photo Lab
- Comedy movies
- Travel
- Punk rock
- U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Distilled beverage
- Robert Reich
- Dan Rather
- Pop music
- Televisions
- Gourmet
- Coffeehouses
- Talking Points Memo
- United States Senate
- Journalism
- Iggy Pop
- WTF with Marc Maron
- Ringer
- Berkeley Breathed
- Cloud computing
- Chef Rick Bayless
- Telecommunication
- Neil Young
- Democratic Party (United States)
- The Ringer (1931 film)
- Three Floyds Brewing
- Electric folk
- a lawyer nemesis, for instance, or US Dept. of State – Passports, former dentists [↩]