Lawmakers told Facebook that it should give users more control over their data. It followed the social media giant explaining in a letter why it estimates users’ locations, even when they’ve rejected location tracking (via CNBC).
Facebook Users Can’t Turn Off Location-Based Ads
In a letter to Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo), and Senator Chris Coons (D-Del), Mark Zuckerburg’s firm said it does not let users turn off location-based ads. However, users can block the company from collecting their precise location. The letter said:
By necessity, virtually all ads on Facebook are targeted based on location, though most commonly ads are targeted to people with a particular city or some larger region. Otherwise, people in Washington, D.C. would receive ads for services or events in London, and vice versa.”
The lawmakers seemed unimpressed with the response. Sen. Hawley said it proved that “Congress needs to take action.”
In a statement, Sen Coons said:
I appreciate Facebook’s attempts to inform users about their privacy choices. However, I am concerned that these efforts are insufficient and even misleading in light of how Facebook is actually treating user data.
He added that while “Facebook claims that users are in control of their own privacy,” the reality is somewhat different. “Users aren’t even given an option to stop Facebook from collecting and monetizing their location information,” Sen. Coons said.