• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money

2

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

3

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 

1

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money

2

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

3

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 
Tech

Facebook Alerts Advertisers `Clear History’ May Hurt Targeting

By
Kurt Wagner
Kurt Wagner
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kurt Wagner
Kurt Wagner
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 14, 2019, 1:39 PM ET
Facebook
A bipartisan team of senators called on the FTC to impose harsher punishment and oversight of Facebook for the company's privacy violations. (Photo credit JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images)Josh Edelson—AFP/Getty Images
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Facebook Inc. is close to rolling out a long-awaited privacy feature but issued a warning to advertisers that improved privacy for users will have at least one key trade-off: Weaker targeting.

Facebook first announced the privacy feature, called “Clear History,” more than a year ago — a response following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal to demonstrate the company’s commitment to protecting users’ personal information. That product, which will allow Facebook users to separate their internet browsing history from their profiles, hasn’t been unveiled, and the company said it has been a more difficult technical challenge to build than expected.

Read more about Facebook’s Clear History feature

In a blog post on Tuesday, Facebook reiterated that Clear History will launch “in the coming months,” and that advertisers should prepare for the fact that de-coupling browsing data from profiles means the company’s targeting won’t be as strong.

“When someone disconnects their off-Facebook activity, we won’t use the data they clear for targeting,” Facebook explained in the blog. “Businesses should keep this in mind when developing strategies for these kinds of campaigns in the second half of the year and beyond.”

There are still many questions about Clear History, among them how easy it will be for Facebook’s 2 billion users to implement, and as a result, how many people will take advantage of it. Still, the blog post is a rare example of the company acknowledging that a new product could potentially hurt its advertising business. Facebook makes about 99% of its revenue from advertising.

About the Authors
By Kurt Wagner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.