How Facebook is using your photos in ads

The advertisements, known as social ads, are tailored in an attempt to provide users with more relevant ads. For example, if you ‘Like’ Nike’s company page, your friends may see a Nike ad alongside their feed, which may include a thumbnail of your profile picture and the fact that you ‘Like’ the company’s page. The belief is that if you like a company or brand, there’s a good chance your friends may feel the same way.

For users who were unaware of Facebook’s ad policy, the added transparency was alarming. The more detailed explanation was new, but the underlying meaning about Facebook’s use of user data was not.