Facebook recommending my thread to my sister

ConcernedCatmother · 02/05/2023 08:51

That sounds terrifying

Dbank · 02/05/2023 08:59

Do a little search on Meta and their fines for sharing data, not only is it truly horrific, most people don't seem to be worried about it.

Needmorelego · 02/05/2023 09:08

Facebook (and basically the internet) picks up on what you search.
If I type the words "Marvel Films" now or search for them on Google I will probably get a suggested post on Facebook about Marvel Films. I thought everyone knew that.
@Elisheva would your sister have any clue the thread is you though?

Inkypinkee · 02/05/2023 09:13

This works by association. Facebook knows you like mumsnet, it also knows that this person is your sister (or that you are in the same location as this person a lot) so therefore it thinks your sister might like the sane things as you do and offers her the advert.

This is the same way that Facebook offers you an app every for a certain brand of toothpaste that you were chatting to your mum about (for example). It didn’t listen in, what happened is your mum googled the brand or added it to her online shop, and because you are with this person a lot Facebook then offered you an advert for this brand of toothpaste.

what you do on the internet, but also what the people you are close to do on the internet, is used to target advertising

JenniferBarkley · 02/05/2023 09:14

You post on MN. That post is now essentially a billboard on your commute - it's freely accessible to anyone who happens upon it.

You're also the product. MN advertise their product on FB.

You and your sister are likely women of a certain age and just the kind of FB users MN target. You may also have shared interests or topics of discussion that mean the thread suggested to your sister is yours.

It's not crazy or unexpected and is something we should all bear in mind when posting anywhere on the internet.

trisfreya · 02/05/2023 09:21

Elisheva · 02/05/2023 08:40

My sister has never been on Mumsnet. Yesterday on Facebook my latest thread was recommended on her feed.
How has this happened? How has Mumsnet/Facebook made a link between me and her? It can’t be coincidence!

looking at your most recent post - its about your DS and GCSEs? Does your sister have dc of a similar age?

Original poster

Elisheva · 02/05/2023 09:32

My user name is significant to my sister, and she knows it’s my user name.
I understand that Facebook offers targeted advertising but I don’t believe it can be coincidence that it’s my thread it is showing.

OP posts:

JenniferBarkley · 02/05/2023 09:41

What do you think has happened to make it something other than targeted advertising working very well?

Original poster

Elisheva · 02/05/2023 10:05

Because it is my thread being advertised to my sister, who isn’t a Mumsnet user. How has the link between me and her been made?

OP posts:

MNHQ

HopeMumsnet · 02/05/2023 10:08

Hi there,
Thanks to everyone who has been explaining, it's much appreciated!
As they said, Elisheva, it's part coincidence, part FB targeting.
Here's what happened - the thread you started here has been promoted on Facebook through our Mumsnet FB page and then FB promotes content from sites you look at to your friends and family. We can completely understand how seeing your own thread being promoted to your sister might have given you a spook but there's nothing more sinister going on than Facebook's ads. Which, yes, to be fair, are a bit spooky...

WheelsUp · 02/05/2023 10:21

The link between you and her is because your phones have been in the same location a lot so there's a good chance that you would have the same interests.

I get ads that ds has been searching on Amazon and he gets ads for stuff I have which is why I think it's a GPS thing.

treespouse · 02/05/2023 10:28

Wow I didn't consider this to be a possibility, perhaps naive of me.
Puts you off posting anything more personal than a film review or recipe really....

Original poster

Elisheva · 02/05/2023 10:50

How does Facebook promote threads that I’m looking at on Mumsnet on its feed? What’s the link between my Facebook, my sisters Facebook and my Mumsnet account?
I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that it’s showing my thread - it was the only thread being promoted to her.

OP posts:

readbooksdrinktea · 02/05/2023 10:51

JenniferBarkley · 02/05/2023 09:14

You post on MN. That post is now essentially a billboard on your commute - it's freely accessible to anyone who happens upon it.

You're also the product. MN advertise their product on FB.

You and your sister are likely women of a certain age and just the kind of FB users MN target. You may also have shared interests or topics of discussion that mean the thread suggested to your sister is yours.

It's not crazy or unexpected and is something we should all bear in mind when posting anywhere on the internet.

Agree that this is very good to remember.

Inkypinkee · 02/05/2023 19:46

Elisheva · 02/05/2023 10:50

How does Facebook promote threads that I’m looking at on Mumsnet on its feed? What’s the link between my Facebook, my sisters Facebook and my Mumsnet account?
I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that it’s showing my thread - it was the only thread being promoted to her.

You need to remember that these sites are linked together via Facebook event tracking and Facebook audiences. Lots of websites integrate Facebook tools to enable them to advertise to you on Facebook. You need to not think of these things as silos.

tailinthejam · 02/05/2023 19:55

HopeMumsnet · 02/05/2023 10:08

Hi there,
Thanks to everyone who has been explaining, it's much appreciated!
As they said, Elisheva, it's part coincidence, part FB targeting.
Here's what happened - the thread you started here has been promoted on Facebook through our Mumsnet FB page and then FB promotes content from sites you look at to your friends and family. We can completely understand how seeing your own thread being promoted to your sister might have given you a spook but there's nothing more sinister going on than Facebook's ads. Which, yes, to be fair, are a bit spooky...

Does that actually mean that a woman posting here about trying to find a way to leave her abusive partner could actually have that thread recommended to him on facebook?

Because if it does, then that is quite frankly horrific.

StraightOuttaContext · 02/05/2023 20:38

Am I right to assume it also depends on if the thread is doing numbers as to whether it's promoted or not?

treespouse · 02/05/2023 21:57

Does that actually mean that a woman posting here about trying to find a way to leave her abusive partner could actually have that thread recommended to him on facebook?

Because if it does, then that is quite frankly horrific.*

Very very good point.

OneFrenchEgg · 02/05/2023 22:02

Does that actually mean that a woman posting here about trying to find a way to leave her abusive partner could actually have that thread recommended to him on facebook?

Only if MN put it on their Facebook page? Which I imagine they wouldn't and would only have 'safe' topics?

Booklover40 · 02/05/2023 22:05

At least it wasn't a thread about how much you hate your sister!

Bit yes I can imagine how that would be unnerving.

CrackerAndPudding · 02/05/2023 22:09

You were on mumsnet, that's stored in your cookies so Facebook picks that up as a "good" website to recommend. Facebook also looks at your friend and family list and promotes pages it has labelled as "good" for you to them. Your cookies/data storing and your Facebook friends are how it all gets linked up.