And that is creepy, I think, and one reason I have all the good adblockers and tracking blockers and cookie cleaners that GP mentions installed, too.
Next, there is no obvious relationship between the site and FB - it's some random article on some random other site, say the NY Times, on some random, say potentially embarrassing topic. However, there's a FB "like" button, or some other tracker.
Now, the site might just get some ID with demographic data (and hobbies and what have you). But FB now knows that you read that article (how could it have told you, otherwise, that John Smith read it?). That might not be a surprise to you, having some knowledge in the industry, but I submit that many if not most people find it both surprising and creepy.
Next, your argument seems to be that with some more education people would not find it surprising, and neither creepy, because adtech is so well behaved and under strict guidelines and "no evil" and all. So, at that point we'll just have to disagree.
But I'd like to better understand where you're coming from, because personally, I wouldn't be bothered by the relationship between the site and FB while I was logged into FB. If FB's algorithm knows I visited a specific site and uses that to improve the relevancy of what is shown to me in my feed, then everyone benefits. Help me understand what's creepy here?
Sure, they could potentially provide you with better service by spying on you 100% of the time. Would you accept that trade off?
I'm curious why is FB knowing every site I visit (or every site that has FB related analytics/ads/comments/like buttons/etc) embedded not creepy to you?
I get that when I visit the GAP or Target or Walmart there are security cameras. I get that they could use that info to decide how to better arrange the store. I get that they could even do something like notice what I'm looking at, put displays on the aisles and beam useful help/ads at me (I see you're looking at diapers, maybe you'd like some wet tissue on aisle 3)
But I'd find it creepy if their surveillance extended outside their store. I'd find it creepy if they could partner with every security camera with every other store. I look at shoes at Ecco an get a message from Walmart "We noticed you looking at shoes. We have lots of shoes on sale!" or "We saw you looked at jackets at Nordstroms. Your friend liked that green one you looked at".
Why is that any less creepy when I visit non-FB websites?
