Facebook to now show how it uses machine learning to deliver ads

SAN FRANCISCO: Meta has announced that it is updating Facebook's "Why am I seeing this ad?" tool, to provide more transparency about how it uses machine learning models to deliver advertisements to users.

The tool will now explain "about how your activity both on and off our technologies may inform the machine learning models we use to shape and deliver the ads you see," the company said in a blogpost on Tuesday.

The "Why am I seeing this ad?" tool was created nearly a decade ago, and since then the company has made improvements to it, making it easier to use and understand.

The company further mentioned that the tool will also show new examples and illustrations, explaining how its machine learning models connect various topics to show users relevant ads.

"Being transparent about how we use machine learning is essential because it ensures that people are aware that this technology is a part of our ads system and that they know the types of information it is using," Meta said.

"By stepping up our transparency around how our machine learning models work to deliver ads, we aim to help people feel more secure and increase our accountability," it added.