Facebook’s new Custom Audience transparency feature will soon give users a lot more information about the advertisers that are targeting them in ads.
Following the rampant and non-consensual use of audience email and phone number lists to target users on its platform, Facebook began asking advertisers to pledge that they had permission to use details when uploading them. But it’s clear that this wasn’t going to work, as it relies on honesty and no other form of enforcement. With no other conceivable way to encourage brands to tell the truth, Facebook will soon be telling users who uploaded the customer list with their details.
From 28 February, Facebook’s “Why am I seeing this?” section available through the feed post dropdown menu will provide users with a lot more information than just general targeting like age, gender, or location. It will show them when the list containing contact details was uploaded, by whom (the brand or an agency partner perhaps?), and whether it was shared between partners.
On the one hand, the feature will allow users to get a better understanding of who has their contact details and is trying to target them via ads – on the other; it could help Facebook find the advertisers who are using ill-gotten customer lists.
You might also like
More from Facebook
Facebook Is Giving You More Controls Over What You See On Your Feed
Facebook is introducing new "show more" and "show less" controls to let you adjust what you want to see on …
Meta Introduces Facebook Reels API, Offering An Option To ‘Share To Reels’
Meta has introduced the Facebook Reels API, a solution allowing developers to build a 'share to reels' option into their …
Facebook Gets Into Delivery With DoorDash Partnership
DoorDash is partnering with Meta to pilot Facebook Marketplace deliveries across multiple cities in the U.S. Drivers will only transport items …