In a bid to expand its online ad reach, Facebook will now display web ads to non-users of its social platform. Facebook will be using cookies, “like” buttons, and other plug-ins embedded on third-party sites to track members and non-members alike. Target advertising has been the way to go in recent times. Non-Facebook users will be served relevant ads in line with browsing interests and likes.
There has been privacy concerns over this method of reaching out as its practices have come under criticism from regulators in Europe and beyond. A banner notification was displayed at the top of its News Feed for users in Europe last week, alerting them to its use of cookies as mandated under an EU directive.
Andrew Bosworth, vice president of Facebook ads and business platform in an interview with the Journal stated ; “We have a greater opportunity than other companies using the same mechanism.
Despite of rise of Target advertising across the Internet, Facebook believes that it can capitalise on the vast amount of data of over 1.7 billion people it already has to accurately target non-members. As regards consumer privacy concerns, a report from Princeton University showed that Facebook’s use of cookies has come under fire from European regulators who say it violates consumer privacy laws. An independent report from the Belgian Privacy Commission last year criticized Facebook for tracking users who had logged out, as well as those who didn’t even have an account.
With all these accusations, Facebook has tried to redeem its image by updating its cookies policy page on Thursday to reflect the changes to its ad network. Users with a Facebook account can opt-out of the ad scheme by adjusting their settings, while non-Facebook members can opt-out through the Digital Advertising Alliance in the US, the Digital Advertising Alliance in Canada, and the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance in Europe.
