'To amp up the effectiveness of its ads, Facebook in recent months has begun allowing marketers to target ads at users based on the email address and phone number they list on their profiles, or based on their surfing habits on other sites.'
Privacy advocates are up in arms - especially over the fact that FB is taking part in studies to link FB ads with members shopping habits in actual stores (and won't disclose which companies take part in the studies).
An interesting twist to all this is discussed in a recent Slate article. Previously, it was impossible to match up FB users to their voter-file identities. With access to individual phone numbers and email addresses, this is so longer the case. The impact of social media on campaigning just got a whole lot more interesting...
A helpful infographic on FB's use of personal data:
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