Basically, the website where you're shopping implements a bit of code called a cookie, which enables the site to track your browsing habits, see what you're looking at, and follow you to another site, where the ad showing what you just looked at shows up.

Search ad targeting: keywords and user data In this way, Big Tech turns your data into their profit. Data-collecting search engines help advertisers target highly specific demographics—like people of a certain age, gender, or location. Or people whose browsing or search history indicates certain interests.

They help that website remember information about your visit, which can both make it easier to visit the site again and make the site more useful to you. Similar technologies, including unique identifiers used to identify an app or device, pixel tags, and local storage, can perform the same function.

Please go to your App Settings to customize how apps access your information on Facebook. To learn how to edit your Privacy settings, please visit our Help Center. Please go to your security settings to customize your security and login preferences.