SPARTANBURG, S.C. – If you don’t like to share your political views, you may be surprised to learn that Facebook does.
The social media company thinks it has you figured out, and it targets political ads to your newsfeed.
This might not sit well with some of you, so we decided to look into how you can opt out.
When users find out Facebook is now labeling their political preference, the reactions range from concern to shock, and even to amusement.
“It was hilarious,” Melissa Walker said when she saw the surprising label Facebook had given her. “Just because I’m anything but a libertarian.”
She’s a liberal; and as a history professor with tenure, she doesn’t have to be shy about it.
“Not everybody is as free to be out there with their opinions as I am, so for those people, I can understand that this might be alarming,” she said.
The label’s not just based on what you post, but your likes, age, race, gender, where you live, friends, and ads you’ve clicked on.
“I’m always amazed about how specific they can identify their target market,” Peter Stone, a business and marketing expert, said.
Stone says most people don’t realize how personal companies like Facebook can get.
“They want to make money off you. Bottom line, it’s advertising. By being able to identify you clearly as a moderate or as an ultra-conservative or whatever, they can aim specific advertising media to you, because you are a defined target market,” he said.
He added that Facebook is banking on you not knowing, or caring, about the 9 different interest categories, with dozens more sub-categories, that define you to marketers.
But if any of those make you uncomfortable, or are just plain incorrect, you can ex out.
Walker shared her incorrect libertarian label with her Facebook friends, but despite the error, she has no desire to fix it.
“I’ve sort of given up the idea that I have any control over social media, so it doesn’t bother me,” she said.
To view or change your political label on Facebook, make sure you are logged into your Facebook page and then click here.
