ANYONE WHO HAS survived middle school knows that publicly admitting you “like” someone can have serious repercussions. On Facebook, you might want to consult your inner tween before clicking a ‘Like’ button. That’s because Facebook, not unlike that nosy girl in seventh grade, wants to tell everyone about your objects of affection, via ads that make you an unwitting and unpaid endorser.
These ads, called Sponsored Stories, repurpose users’ updates and activities to hawk an advertiser’s products or services. Once you ‘Like’ a company page, check in at a merchant location, post an update mentioning a product, service, or company, or otherwise interact with a Facebook advertiser, your activity becomes potential ad fodder. Your friends could then receive an update about it—whether you want Facebook to share it or not.…
