Facebook has taken a lot of heat in the past over privacy. Specifically, arguments that the social media site was being just a little too invasive with user information.
And we’re guessing these latest headlines won’t help. “Follow you around?” “Track your movements?”“Follow you around the web?” — yeah, sounds a little scary.
Those are all referring to a new advertising platform Facebook is rolling out on Monday called Atlas.
According to Mashable, Atlas “will let advertisers follow users across the web and mobile devices. For instance, Atlas advertiser Pepsi could use Atlas to advertise one of its products on a sports site or a game app that is unaffiliated with Facebook.”
Basically, an ad targeted at you, based on information provided to Facebook could pop up on other websites outside of Facebook on any device. (Video via WJLA)
GUEST, MSNBC: “We know who you are. We know where you live. We know what you do. This is largely the story that we’re getting from Facebook here.”
OK. He makes it sound really creepy. But there are arguments for it as well — like the fact that the advertisements you will inevitably see should be closer to your actual interests.
And if you’re a Facebook stockholder, it could help the company’s bottom line. As CNET notes, Atlas, “could help Facebook expand its reach and take on Google as the top dog of Internet advertising, an industry estimated to reach more than $140 billion this year.”
For reference, Facebook was a distant second in online advertising last year — grabbing just 5.8-percent of the market. That compared to Google’s 32-percent.
Facebook purchased Atlas from Microsoft last year and according to a blog post completely rebuilt it for the social media site.
This video includes images from Franco Bouly / CC BY ND 2.0.
