Report: Facebook tracks in-store purchases, targets users with ads

Facebook is able to track what customers buy in stores and target those customers with ads, a new report shows.

The Business Insider report alleges Facebook has teamed up with retailers to track not only what users buy online, but in brick and mortar stores too.

It suggests that retail companies are sending the social media giant names, phone numbers and email addresses attached to what products people have purchased, which are then used to target people with those businesses' ads.

"The main way that Facebook makes money is by selling ads, and the reason that it's really able to dominate the online ad industry is because it controls so much personal information and data about its users," said Aaron Holmes, a Business Insider reporter.

Facebook confirmed the report, saying this is a "standard" practice for the industry.

"Retailers are able to reach their customers with ads on Facebook by sharing offline events, like an in-store purchase," the company said.

When asked by Good Morning America, stores like Macy's praised the collaboration as a way to "fuel our growth."

But Facebook says you can limit how much of your information is shared with it.

Go to privacy settings, then click ad preferences. From there, you can customize what kind of ads Facebook shows you.