This is how to figure out what Facebook thinks your politics are

In order for someone to find out which category it is categorized in, they need to go on facebook.com/ads/preferences, after logging in, of course.

If Facebook is incorrect about your political preference, you can click the “x” on the box..

It may be surprising, but Facebook has an “opinion” of sorts on your political beliefs, and whether you are conservative, liberal or moderate. Your supposed political leanings (which I can attest to not always being accurate, as Facebook has my affiliation wrong) then allow Facebook to categorize its users and sell ad space to advertisers who want to market themselves to specific groups of people. If you’re curious what it thinks of you, you can get the inside scoop and even see what Facebook thinks your political views are. It uses this information to determine which ads to show you.

If you’re confused by some of the “interests” Facebook lists for you, click on the thumbnail image or hover your mouse on the “interest” and check out the explanation the social media giant provides. Scroll down until you see a box titled “US Politics”.

Randy isn’t surprised that Facebook nailed him as very conservative. And is it right about your political leanings?

Did you happen to like Planned Parenthood’s Facebook page? The process is likely based on the user’s interests that somehow correlate with political views, as the aforementioned examples illustrate, but up to what extent and which interests exactly are unknown. However this doesn’t affect the user’s stated political position on their profile, if they’ve chosen to add one. You might have to click on See More to find it.

Facebook has also replaced the traditional “like” button with “reactions” that include other emotions, and they’re tracking your every interaction with a piece of content – whether it’s a photo, text post or a link to an article – and using that data to create a profile on you.

With well over 100 million active Facebook users in the U.S, both presidential candidates are spending millions advertising on Facebook, and they can target voters who support them, or those who haven’t decided.