Facebook has announced that advertisers will now have access to data on how ads affect user behavior across multiple devices.
The new metrics will show advertisers how often users view or click ads on one device and then buy the advertised product on another device, Ars Technica reports.
In a post on its business blog, Facebook explains why measuring such cross-device conversions is important for advertisers. While people frequently see ads on their phones or tablets, most still make their online purchases over desktops and laptops.
According to an infographic included in the blog post, more than 32 percent of users who demonstrated an interest in an ad on a mobile device went on to purchase the advertised product on a desktop within 28 days. Consequently, having access to this data would give advertisers a clearer picture of their ads’ effectiveness, allowing them to improve ad targeting.
While the change represents more growth in Facebook’s already-expansive data collection, it does fall within the guidelines laid out in Facebook’s data use policy.