Study Reveals Facebook Users Targeted by Nearly 200,000 Companies for Ads

The results of a groundbreaking study conducted by Consumer Reports have revealed that Facebook users are bombarded with targeted ads from nearly 200,000 companies. The study, which involved over 700 Facebook users, found that on average, each participant had their data sent to the social network by 2,230 companies. In the most extreme case, one user had data compiled about them by nearly 48,000 different companies.

This news comes amidst reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit in Texas accusing the company of using facial recognition technology without consumer consent. The study found that 96% of the data sent to Facebook were compiled by data brokers that collect consumer information and sell it to other businesses, advertisers, and marketers.

The research also discovered that some data were compiled by large retailers such as Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon, as well as credit reporting agencies like Experian and TransUnion’s Neustar. Meta’s business model relies on monetizing user data by selling it to advertisers, who can then tailor their ads to specific users based on their online preferences.

The European Data Protection Board recently extended a ban on “behavioral advertising” on Facebook and Instagram to cover all 30 countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area. Meta could face fines of up to 4% of its global turnover for breaching users’ privacy by using their data for advertising purposes.

Since August, Meta has been subject to daily fines in Norway for breaching users’ privacy, such as using their data for advertising without consent. The decision by the data board forces Ireland’s data regulator to impose a permanent ban on Meta’s use of behavioral advertising, as the company’s European headquarters are located in Ireland.