We’ve all had that moment when, looking at Facebook, we wonder, “Why am I seeing an ad for that?” Its not often that we get to peek behind the curtain of online advertising and get a glimpse of how companies decide what ads they show us, but this Chrome add-on lets you see what Facebook thinks it knows about you. Here you’ll find a list of preferences and interests that Facebook uses to target ads to you. If one of the labels doesn’t accurately describe you, you can easily delete it from the list.
ProPublica, an online journalism site, put together this Chrome extension as part of a larger series about how online algorithms and big data shape our lives. Algorithms and big data increasingly affect all of our lives, often insidiously, such as profiling potential criminals or changing online prices based on the buyer’s income level, geographic location, or perceived race. Librarians believe that your privacy is critically important and that you deserve to know what information companies are gathering about you and how that information is being used. Take a moment to use this Chrome add-on and see what Facebook thinks it knows about you!