Why Meta uses cookies: provide, protect and improve
Meta says cookies help it provide, protect and improve the Meta Products, for example by personalising content, tailoring and measuring ads, and providing a safer experience. It says it 'typically' uses cookies for the purposes listed in the sections that follow (authentication, security and integrity, advertising and measurement, site features, performance, analytics and research).
Supporting quotations
Cookies help us provide, protect and improve the Meta Products, such as by personalising content, tailoring and measuring ads, and providing a safer experience.
we typically use them for the following purposes:
Qualifications & exceptions
'Typically' signals the listed purposes are the usual ones; the policy does not call the list exhaustive.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Ad delivery and recommendations, including from off-Meta activity
Meta uses cookies to help show ads and to make recommendations for businesses and organisations to people who may be interested in what they promote. Examples: helping deliver ads to people who previously visited a business's website, purchased its products or used its apps, and recommending products and services based on that activity; and limiting how many times you see the same ad. The 'fr' cookie is used to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads, with a lifespan of 90 days. Cookies are placed and read on other companies' sites and apps that use the Meta Products, without further action from you, whether or not you have an account or are logged in. For people with a Facebook account, Meta also uses data advertisers and partners provide about their activity off Meta Company Products to show better ads, and says they can control whether that data is used for ads in their ad settings.
Supporting quotations
We use cookies to help us show ads
Cookies allow us to help deliver ads to people who have previously visited a business’s website, purchased its products or used its apps and to recommend products and services based on that activity. Cookies also allow us to limit the number of times that you see an ad so you don’t see the same ad over and over again. For example, the "fr" cookie is used to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads, with a lifespan of 90 days.
Meta uses cookies and receives information when you visit those sites and apps, including [device information](https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy?subpage=1.subpage.3-AppBrowserAndDevice&entry_point=POLICY_SECTION%3A2_where) and information about your activity, without any further action from you. This occurs whether or not you have a Facebook or Instagram account or are logged in.
If you have a Facebook account
To show you better ads, we use data that advertisers and other partners provide us about your activity off Meta Company Products, including websites and apps. You can control whether we use this data to show you ads in your [ad settings]
Qualifications & exceptions
The ad-settings control is listed for people with a Facebook account; Instagram account holders have a parallel control in a separate list.
The cookie table adds that the 'fr' cookie is used 'depending on your choices'.
Not stated here
The ad settings page is a linked page that this source does not supply, so what the control changes is not described here.
Whether the control stops cookies being set or read, or only stops use of the data for ads, is not stated.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Ad measurement and the _fbp cookie
Meta uses cookies to help measure the performance of ad campaigns for businesses that use the Meta Products: counting the number of times an ad is shown, calculating its cost, and measuring how often people do things, such as make a purchase following an ad impression. The '_fbp' cookie identifies browsers for providing advertising and site analytics services and has a lifespan of 90 days. Business partners may also share information with Meta from cookies set in their own websites' domains, and cookies named _fbc or _fbp may be set on the partner's domain.
Supporting quotations
We also use cookies to help measure the performance
We use cookies to count the number of times that an ad is shown and to calculate the cost of those ads. We also use cookies to measure how often people do things, such as make a purchase following an ad impression. For example, the "_fbp" cookie identifies browsers for the purposes of providing advertising and site analytics services and has a lifespan of 90 days.
Our business partners may also choose to share information with Meta from cookies set in their own websites' domains, whether or not you have a Facebook or Instagram account or are logged in. Specifically, cookies named _fbc or _fbp may be set on the domain of the business partner whose site you're visiting.
Qualifications & exceptions
For cookies set on a partner's domain, the policy says they are not accessible by Meta when you are on a different site; the sharing is described as the partner's choice.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
The 'oo' cookie and ad controls
Meta uses cookies, such as its 'oo' cookie (lifespan 400 days), to help you opt out of seeing ads from Meta based on your activity on third-party websites. The control section adds that Meta uses cookies to help personalise and improve content and services, provide a safer experience and show relevant ads on and off Meta Products, and that you can control how it uses data to show ads and more using the tools described there.
Supporting quotations
We also use cookies, such as our "oo" cookie, which has a lifespan of 400 days, to help you opt out of seeing ads from Meta based on your activity on third-party websites.
You can control how we use data to show you ads and more by using the tools described below.
Qualifications & exceptions
The opt-out is stored in a cookie, so clearing or blocking cookies may affect it; the policy separately warns that tools restricting its cookie use may interfere with its controls.
Not stated here
The 'Learn more' page about ad choices is linked but not supplied here.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookies for site features and services
Meta uses cookies to enable the functionality that helps it provide the Meta Products. Cookies help store preferences, know when you have seen or interacted with content, and provide customised content and experiences.
Supporting quotations
We use cookies to enable the functionality
Cookies help us store preferences, know when you’ve seen or interacted with Meta Products’ content and provide you with customised content and experiences.
Site features and services
Qualifications & exceptions
Specific examples are in the following card for this section.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Examples of site-feature cookies: suggestions, Page switching, Messenger
Examples Meta gives for cookies that support site features: making suggestions to you and others and customising content on third-party sites that integrate Meta's social plugins; letting a Facebook Page administrator switch between posting as their personal account and as the Page; and using the 'presence' cookie, described here as session-based, to support Messenger chat windows.
Supporting quotations
For instance, cookies allow us to make suggestions to you and others, and to customise content on third-party sites that integrate our social plugins. If you are a Facebook Page administrator, cookies allow you to switch between posting from your personal Facebook account and the Facebook Page. We use cookies such as the session-based "presence" cookie to support your use of Messenger chat windows.
We use cookies to enable the functionality
Site features and services
Qualifications & exceptions
The social-plugin example reaches third-party sites that integrate Meta's plugins.
Not stated here
The text here calls 'presence' session-based, while the cookie table lists a 30 day lifespan for it; the policy does not reconcile the two.
Cross-references
contrast (model-proposed): Cookie presence: Messenger chat windows, 30 days — contrast: The site-features section calls the 'presence' cookie session-based, while the cookie table lists a 30 day lifespan for 'presence'. The policy does not reconcile the two descriptions, so the lifespan is uncertain.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookies store language and locale preferences
Meta uses cookies to help provide content relevant to your locale. Example: information stored in a cookie on your browser or device so you see the site in your preferred language.
Supporting quotations
We also use cookies to help provide you with content relevant to your locale.
We store information in a cookie that is placed on your browser or device so that you will see the site in your preferred language.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Performance cookies: traffic routing, load speed and screen rendering
Meta uses cookies to provide the best experience it can. Examples: helping route traffic between servers, understanding how quickly Meta Products load for different people, recording your screen and window ratio and dimensions and whether you have enabled high-contrast mode so sites and apps render correctly. The 'dpr' and 'wd' cookies each have a lifespan of 7 days and are used for purposes including delivering an optimal experience for the device's screen.
Supporting quotations
We use cookies to provide you with the best experience possible.
Cookies help us route traffic between servers and understand how quickly Meta Products load for different people. Cookies also help us record the ratio and dimensions of your screen and windows and know whether you’ve enabled high-contrast mode, so that we can render our sites and apps correctly. For example, we set the "dpr" and "wd" cookies, each with a lifespan of 7 days, for purposes including to deliver an optimal experience for your device’s screen.
Qualifications & exceptions
'dpr' and 'wd' are used 'for purposes including' screen optimisation, so that is not stated as their only purpose.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Analytics and research cookies
Meta uses cookies to better understand how people use the Meta Products so it can improve them. Examples: understanding how people use the Facebook service, analysing which parts of its Products people find most useful and engaging, and identifying features that could be improved.
Supporting quotations
We use cookies to better understand how people use the Meta Products so that we can improve them.
Cookies can help us understand how people use the Facebook service, analyse which parts of our Products people find most useful and engaging, and identify features that could be improved.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookie fr: ad delivery and measurement, 90 days
The 'fr' cookie is used, depending on your choices, to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads; lifespan 90 days.
Supporting quotations
fr
Depending on your choices, this cookie is used to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads.
90 days
For example, the "fr" cookie is used to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads, with a lifespan of 90 days.
Advertising, recommendations, insights and measurement
Qualifications & exceptions
The table qualifies this use with 'Depending on your choices'; the policy does not say which choices change it.
Not stated here
Which user choices switch off this cookie's ad use is not stated in the table.
Cross-references
qualifies (model-proposed): Ad delivery and recommendations, including from off-Meta activity — qualifies: The cookie table says the 'fr' cookie is used for ads 'Depending on your choices', which qualifies the general statement that the 'fr' cookie is used to deliver, measure and improve ad relevancy.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookies _fbp and _fbc: ad and site analytics identifiers, 90 days
The '_fbp' and '_fbc' cookies identify browsers for businesses using the Meta Products, for providing advertising and site analytics services; lifespan 90 days.
Supporting quotations
_fbp; _fbc
These cookies identify browsers for businesses using our Meta Products for the purposes of providing advertising and site analytics services.
90 days
Qualifications & exceptions
The 'Third-party websites and apps' passage says these cookies may be set on a partner's own domain.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookie oo: stores advertising preferences, 400 days
The 'oo' cookie helps store your advertising preferences; lifespan 400 days.
Supporting quotations
oo
This cookie helps store your advertising preferences.
400 days
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookie presence: Messenger chat windows, 30 days
The 'presence' cookie supports your use of Messenger chat windows; lifespan 30 days. The site-features section calls it 'session-based'.
Supporting quotations
presence
This cookie supports your use of Messenger chat windows.
30 days
Not stated here
The table's 30 day lifespan and the earlier 'session-based' description are not reconciled by the policy.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Cookies dpr and wd: screen optimisation, 7 days
The 'dpr' and 'wd' cookies help deliver an optimal experience for your device's screen; lifespan 7 days.
Supporting quotations
dpr; wd
These cookies help deliver an optimal experience for your device’s screen.
7 days
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Controls overview: tools for how Meta uses data to show ads
Meta says it uses cookies to help personalise and improve content and services, provide a safer experience and show useful and relevant ads on and off Meta Products. It says you can control how it uses data to show you ads and more using the tools described in this section, which are listed separately for people with a Facebook account, people with an Instagram account, and everyone. One of those tools is the 'oo' cookie, which Meta uses to help you opt out of its ads based on your activity on third-party websites.
Supporting quotations
How can you control your Information?
We use cookies to help personalise and improve content and services, provide a safer experience and to show you useful and relevant ads on and off Meta Products. You can control how we use data to show you ads and more by using the tools described below.
We also use cookies, such as our "oo" cookie, which has a lifespan of 400 days, to help you opt out of seeing ads from Meta based on your activity on third-party websites.
Meta uses cookies and receives information when you visit those sites and apps, including [device information](https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy?subpage=1.subpage.3-AppBrowserAndDevice&entry_point=POLICY_SECTION%3A2_where) and information about your activity, without any further action from you. This occurs whether or not you have a Facebook or Instagram account or are logged in.
Qualifications & exceptions
The tools cover 'how we use data to show you ads and more'; the policy does not say they stop cookies from being set.
Not stated here
The tools sit on linked pages that this source does not supply.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Facebook accounts: ad preferences
If you have a Facebook account, you can use your ad preferences to learn why you are seeing a particular ad and to control how Meta uses the information it collects to show you ads.
Supporting quotations
If you have a Facebook account
You can use your [ad preferences](https://accountscenter.facebook.com/ad_preferences?entry_point=POLICY_SUBPAGE%3Asubpage-4.1) to learn why you're seeing a particular ad and control how we use information that we collect to show you ads.
Not stated here
What the ad preferences page lets you change is on a linked page that this source does not supply.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Facebook accounts: control of off-Meta activity data for ads
For Facebook account holders, Meta says it uses data that advertisers and other partners provide about your activity off Meta Company Products, including websites and apps, to show you better ads. You can control whether Meta uses this data to show you ads in your ad settings.
Supporting quotations
If you have a Facebook account
To show you better ads, we use data that advertisers and other partners provide us about your activity off Meta Company Products, including websites and apps. You can control whether we use this data to show you ads in your [ad settings](https://accountscenter.facebook.com/ad_preferences/ad_settings?entry_point=POLICY_SUBPAGE%3Asubpage-4.1).
Qualifications & exceptions
The control is whether the data is used to show you ads; the policy does not say the data stops being received.
Not stated here
What the ad settings page does is on a linked page that this source does not supply.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Facebook accounts: Audience Network ads and ad settings
The Meta Audience Network is a way for advertisers to show you ads in apps and websites off the Meta Company Products. One way it shows relevant ads is by using your ad preferences to decide which ads you may like. Facebook account holders can control this in their ad settings.
Supporting quotations
If you have a Facebook account
The Meta Audience Network is a way for advertisers to show you ads in apps and websites off the [Meta Company Products](https://www.facebook.com/help/195227921252400?entry_point=POLICY_SUBPAGE%3Asubpage-4.1). One of the ways that Audience Network shows relevant ads is by using your ad preferences to determine which ads you may be interested in seeing. You can control this in your [ad settings](https://accountscenter.facebook.com/ad_preferences/ad_settings?entry_point=POLICY_SUBPAGE%3Asubpage-4.1).
Qualifications & exceptions
This item appears only in the Facebook-account list; the Instagram list does not mention Audience Network.
Not stated here
The Instagram list's silence on Audience Network does not show whether or how it applies to Instagram accounts.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Instagram accounts: ad preferences, ad settings and activity access
If you have an Instagram account, you can use your ad preferences to learn why you are seeing a particular ad and to control how Meta uses information it collects to show you ads. Meta also says it uses data that advertisers and partners provide about your activity off Meta Company Products to show better ads, and you can control whether it uses this data in your ad settings. You can also access the activity information Meta receives from other businesses and organisations about your interactions with them via the Export Your Information tool.
Supporting quotations
If you have an Instagram account
You can use your [ad preferences](https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faccountscenter.instagram.com%2Fad_preferences%3Fentry_point%3DPOLICY_SUBPAGE%253Asubpage-4.2&h=AUBPQSFEFgW1S7du1_Sm_xBFkCHAB_zKVvHFxhh3SS89a-DRWJkpqxZoxrMmz7WoMDIu_hTwNfp9ELPo26oGFaZhQ1glUUmJCGV3wu5eUQ9lhy9DV8RKkCOGVe8nazCm3dzy3DGKgQ_v_9qG) to learn why you're seeing a particular ad and control how we use information that we collect to show you ads.
To show you better ads we use data that advertisers and other partners provide us about your activity off [Meta Company Products](https://www.facebook.com/help/195227921252400?entry_point=POLICY_SUBPAGE%3Asubpage-4.2), including websites and apps. You can control whether we use this data to show you ads in your [ad settings](https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faccountscenter.instagram.com%2Fad_preferences%2Fad_settings%2F%3Fentry_point%3DPOLICY_SUBPAGE%253Asubpage-4.2&h=AUCbZlcljv3wT4Gcw7NDwf1_ke-82n7cfv3LeawbuPqxOY1EoASDPMYInoGA3RmMg_slpSMDd-2oUfsz3QqOa6LFeFzQ-PBlPo71NPw_-kDBT3qwaQk8qI3Yc8E2KDcFqOOqQckxzXeXHbA3).
You can access the activity information we receive from other businesses and organizations about your interactions with them by visiting our [Export Your Information](https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhelp.instagram.com%2F181231772500920%3Fentry_point%3DPOLICY_SUBPAGE%253Asubpage-4.2&h=AUAT9TeqsGD9jB81oq1tJ_6kepfrYyijLN7w4hH07xIJrjJsbtNWcG0-dZPxvWQcXxIdpkGsLaHYuu9gdF7Nw0PGEfqN0fB900fU3xie-bVE5JPU1AIUHneYYVPP309yqOJYPioLInXSZhYn) tool.
Qualifications & exceptions
The Instagram list does not include an Audience Network item.
Not stated here
The tools sit on linked pages that this source does not supply.
Use & Processing · User right or choice
Everyone: opt out of interest-based ads through ad alliances
Everyone, with or without an account, can opt out of seeing online interest-based ads from Meta and other participating companies through the Digital Advertising Alliance in the US, the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada in Canada, or the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance in Europe. Meta warns that ad blockers and tools that restrict its cookie use may interfere with these controls.
Supporting quotations
Everyone
You can opt out of seeing online interest-based ads from Meta and other participating companies through the
Please note that ad blockers and tools that restrict our cookie use may interfere with these controls.
Qualifications & exceptions
The opt-out covers ads from Meta and other participating companies, by region: US, Canada, Europe.
Ad blockers and tools that restrict Meta's cookie use may interfere with these controls.
Not stated here
Those organisations' own opt-out tools are on linked sites that this source does not supply; what happens outside the US, Canada and Europe is not stated.
Use & Processing · Restriction or exception
Blocking cookies can break parts of Meta Products and its ad controls
Meta says certain parts of the Meta Products may not work properly if you have disabled browser cookie use. Separately, in the 'Everyone' ad opt-out section, it says that ad blockers and tools that restrict its cookie use may interfere with the alliance opt-out controls.
Supporting quotations
Certain parts of the Meta Products may not work properly if you have disabled browser cookie use.
Please note that ad blockers and tools that restrict our cookie use may interfere with these controls.
Qualifications & exceptions
'May not work properly' is stated as a possibility for 'certain parts', not a list of affected features.
Not stated here
The policy does not say which parts of the Meta Products stop working.