1. IPN contacted Facebook to understand in clear detail their methodology and mechanic for the
placement of social ads on the Facebook homepage and who, when, how and where these ads are
presented to the Facebook audience. Find out details of our learnings.
HOW FACEBOOK DECIDES ADS PLACEMENT AND WHEN / WHOM TO SHOW IT TO.
How does Facebook decide which ads to show me?
Here are some types of the information we use to show you ads we think you’ll find interesting:
 The things you do with Facebook
The things you share with Facebook, such as liking a page or information we get when you use
Facebook, like your location, are used to show you ads you may like. For example, a band may
choose to send ads about an upcoming concert to people who like their Facebook Page or have
shared their music through another site, like Spotify. If relevant, we may also use the
information you put on your timeline, such as your gender, to pick the right ads for you.
 Info we get from others
Facebook may also personalize your ads using info from third parties, or by working with
companies that that help advertisers reach people with relevant online ads. For example, a
shoe store might want to show an ad about a sale to people who have visited their website or
shopped in their store. The shoe store works with other third parties to deliver their ad across
the web, including on Facebook.
All of these ads are chosen for you without Facebook sending advertisers’ info that personally
identifies you. Sometimes we use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to enable ads on and
off Facebook.
 What are pixel tags? How does Facebook use them?
Pixel tags (also called clear GIFs, web beacons, or pixels) are small blocks of code on a webpage
that allow websites to do things like read and place cookies. The resulting connection can
include information such as the person’s IP address, the time the person viewed the pixel and
the type of browser being used.
We use pixel tags to customize your experience and learn about how people use products and
services. For example, we can use pixel tags to see that a person using a certain browser saw an
ad on Facebook and also bought a product from that advertiser. This helps us show advertisers
that the ads they run on Facebook are effective.
 Why does Facebook add cookies to any browser that visits its websites?
Cookies are set to provide, understand and improve a range of products and services. These
cookies also help keep Facebook and the people who use Facebook safe and secure. By
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2. understanding visitor habits and patterns, we can better detect unusual behavior and protect
people from unauthorized activities.
Things like cookies and pixels are used to understand and deliver ads and make them more
relevant to you.
For example, we may read a cookie that tells us you’re logged into Facebook so we can
show you ads that may be interesting to you on Facebook or other websites. We may also
Advertising
use a cookie to learn whether someone who saw an ad on Facebook later visited the
advertiser’s site. Similarly, one of our partners may use a cookie to determine whether
we’ve shown an ad and how it performed. We also may work with a partner to show you an
ad on Facebook after you’ve visited the partner’s site and this may involve the use of
cookies.
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