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Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

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Re: Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

#61
post #52
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook is spying on your though. If you have the facebook app installed, try leaving it next to a spanish radio station for a number of hours. Supposedly you'll start seeing spanish ads pop up after a while.

Did you try this? If that's the case then would be a great post!

Saw it in a different HN comment:)

Re: Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

#62
Something similar happened with me. I don't have Facebook's app but I use Messenger (location - allowed), So I'm guessing this is location based. You went inside a restaurant, spent time there. And Campari turned out to be a hot selling thing for restaurants.

Re: Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

#63

I meet a girl. She had a smartphone in which she had the Facebook app installed. I had a iPod which had a Facebook app installed too. But there was no wifi in the place we met. And my location services are always off in my device. I come home, and Facebook shows her as "People you may know." I had 32 mutual friends with her. So I let it go thinking it might be a coincidence. Few days later, I meet a guy. Don't know i…

>Coincidence? No, but not the conspiracy theory you are imagining. It's my understanding that if Person A searches for Person B they are likely to show on Person B's list of people you may know. Also just to clarify, how many times have you looked at the people you may now list and not seen someone you recently met?

That makes sense!

Re: Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

#64
post #44

I meet a girl. She had a smartphone in which she had the Facebook app installed. I had a iPod which had a Facebook app installed too. But there was no wifi in the place we met. And my location services are always off in my device. I come home, and Facebook shows her as "People you may know." I had 32 mutual friends with her. So I let it go thinking it might be a coincidence. Few days later, I meet a guy. Don't know i…

There was no wifi, but was WiFi turned off on your device? Facebook may scan surrounding access point to determine your location.

I am not sure of that. But if Facebook does that, isn't that a breach of privacy?

Re: Ask HN: Can we find out why a specific ad appears in our Facebook feed?

#65

I meet a girl. She had a smartphone in which she had the Facebook app installed. I had a iPod which had a Facebook app installed too. But there was no wifi in the place we met. And my location services are always off in my device. I come home, and Facebook shows her as "People you may know." I had 32 mutual friends with her. So I let it go thinking it might be a coincidence. Few days later, I meet a guy. Don't know i…

Did you talk on whatsapp? I've noticed if I talk to someone on whatsapp then Facebook suddenly shows me lots more to do with that person or suggests that I add them, even if we usually never interact on Facebook.

I didn't use whatsapp. Facebook doesn't know my phone number. It's either a coincidence or what paulcole said. Or Facebook is tracking my location somehow.
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