Facebook has little-known list of things it thinks you secretly like – it knows so much but you can manage them

META has curated long lists of ‘interests’ for every Instagram and Facebook user.

You are likely aware that social media platforms rely on your data for their benefit.

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Specifically, they collect personal and location data so they can learn who you are.

Companies relish the opportunity to send you targeted advertisements to make them more money.

However, on certain platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can access this data.

“Instagram and Threads, like most other social networks, collect data about you in three ways,” Paul Bischoff, security and privacy advocate at Comparitech, told DailyMail.com.

‘First is the information you willingly provide, such as the info you use to sign up to the account, your profile details, and your posts,” Bischoff explained.

The second is the data collected in the background as you use a service.

This includes things like your IP address, location, and the posts you interact with.

Last on the list is the data obtained via third parties, like cookies and public records.

cookies are one of the biggest ways platforms like Facebook and Instagram collect your data.

They are used to track your browsing history and the features you interact with on a website.

“If you see a Facebook Like or Share button or a Facebook comments section on a third-party website, for example, those elements are likely tracking you on behalf of Facebook,” Bischoff said.

“They can see the advertising ID in the tracking cookie and log your visit with Facebook.”

HOW TO CHECK YOUR ‘LISTS’

To see the list where your ‘interests’ are hidden, you need to head into Settings and Privacy in the Facebook or Instagram app.

Next, select Accounts Center; this is where you’ll see both your Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Go into Account Settings, tap on Ad Preferences, and then select Ad Topics.

Here, you should see a condensed list of topics that you are interested in.

However, if you tap View and Manage Topics, you should see your full list.

Once you click on a specific interest, you are presented with two options: “No preference,” and “See less.”

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk