It’s not uncommon to scroll through Facebook and wonder why the heck you’re seeing a specific post. Now, Facebook is introducing a tool to help answer that question.
“News Feed is always personalized to you — and starting today you’ll have even more information and control over your experience,” Facebook’s product manager, Ramya Sethuraman, wrote in a blog post.
Found in the drop-down menu in the right-hand corner of a post, the new “Why am I seeing this post?” feature does exactly what its name suggests. It’ll explain how your past interactions impacted the ranking of posts in your newsfeed and will also tell you why you’re seeing certain posts.
According to Sethuraman, users said that transparency into News Feed algorithms wasn’t enough without people being given control over it. So, the new feature also allows people to take action and manage what they see in their News Feed.
In addition, Facebook has made improvements to its “Why am I seeing this ad?” feature. The tool was originally launched in 2014. Now, it will provide users with even more context on ads. Users will be able to see when the advertiser uploaded the information, or if the advertiser worked with another marketing partner to run the ad.
Overall, Facebook isn’t really giving up much or actually changing how it controls News Feed. For users who wanted more transparency, the new features and updates will definitely help.
“Both of these updates are part of our ongoing investment in giving people more context and control across Facebook,” Sethuraman wrote. “We will continue to listen to your feedback and evolve these features over time.”
