We rely on our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party, where they are not outweighed by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms ('legitimate interests'). We rely on this legal basis for things like ads (though not for our Facebook and Instagram users in the EU).
Relying on legitimate interests rather than consent for advertising profiling means Meta does not ask for your permission and you must actively object — a significant shift of burden onto the consumer.
Meta's policy authorizes collection of an exceptionally broad range of personal data — including location, biometric features, financial information, browsing history across third-party sites, and sensitive inferences about health and political views — primarily to serve targeted advertising. Non-users who have never created a Meta account are also subject to data collection when they visit sites using Meta's tracking tools such as the Meta Pixel. You can review and limit off-platform tracking by visiting Facebook Settings > Your Facebook Information > Off-Facebook Activity and clearing or restricting that data.