Facebook is watching what you do online even when you aren’t on Facebook

Have you ever noticed how the ads on the side of your Facebook Newsfeed seem oddly personalised?

It always seemed safe to assume that Facebook uses what it knows about you through its use of the site to tailor its advertising. But now the social media giant has confirmed that it will take this strategy even further, by monitoring your use of 'like' and 'share' buttons on other websites to get a better profile of its members and streamline its advertising. If this sounds familiar, it's because a year ago Facebook announced its intention to begin gathering this information. - It's only now that it's being put to use. If the ads make you feel like Facebook is watching a bit too closely, you can opt out of targeted ads by modifying your 'Ad Preferences' in your settings.