Meta’s “Why Am I Seeing This Ad” tool is being updated to provide more context about how the platform targets ads to users. The tool, which was launched in 2013, was intended to dispel rumors about the social network listening in on conversations and to give users more control over the ads they see.
The new information panels will explain how a user’s activity on and off the platform can influence machine learning models that shape and deliver advertisements. The updated tool will also give users more ways to access the Ads Preferences menu and show how machine learning connects different topics to show relevant ads. The changes are the result of discussions with privacy experts and stakeholders, who advised Meta to be more transparent about how machine learning models influence the ads people see.
As a result of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency update, which has caused more users to opt out of data sharing with the platform, Meta has had to restructure its ad targeting around machine learning. The updated tool may assist users in better understanding how their online activity influences the ads they see and provide them with more control over their ad preferences. The updated tool will be available globally first on Facebook, with plans to expand to Instagram in the future.
