Facebook's data being used for targeted advertising - what's the big deal?

Discussion in 'Wall St. News' started by OptionsOptionsOptions, Mar 21, 2018.

  1. Facebook's data being used for targeted advertising - what's the big deal?

    • I don't understand the Facebook controversy.
    • Why is it an issue that data from 50 million Facebook accounts was used for targeted advertising?
    • They only people who should be concerned is Facebook since the data was used without their consent.

    IMO ...... I think people are envious of Mark Zuckerberg and would like to bring him down. He is so successful at a young age.
     


  2. It is mostly related to voting and how FB affects democracy. Cambridge Analytica using FBs data was able to target not just groups but individual people in very specific ways. They have done this in other elections, Brexit for example where a shock result occurred.

    There is a feeling I guess that FB has grown too quickly to take it's power seriously enough. Releasing data for academic research is fine, naive in the extreme when it passed on to organizations that will abuse it.
     
    Frederick Foresight and Sprout like this.
  3. Baron

    Baron ET Founder

    Facebook gives third party apps access to personal data such as names, genders, locations, personal preferences and friend networks. Those apps use that data to create a customized experience for the end user. The problem is that the same data is being resold by the third party apps to other companies for marketing purposes, which ultimately causes users to receive offers and promotions from random companies for things they never consented to receive.
     
  4. southall

    southall

    Its because trump won, had hillary won no one would give a shit.
     
  5. They would have. Remember 95.6% of the world's population is not the USA.

    We care if this level of influence can be bought and just works producing shock results for whomever pays. Humans are for better or worse organic computers, we have hacks like the video I posted.

    This is new and with great power.. FB has great responsibility.

    Advertising is of course a part if it also. Just deciding to buy a battery powered bicycle or not today is unlikely to start wars.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2018
  6. tomorton

    tomorton

    Seems like the data was claimed by Cambridge Analytica to be for academic purposes only and Facebook wouldn't have allowed it to be passed on if they had known this. They say.

    Also that CA offered to smear politicians.
     
    murray t turtle likes this.
  7. lindq

    lindq

    I agree. What is the difference between Facebook's activity, and your cable company selling your profile to advertisers to target ads, or a publication targeting your zip code for advertisers, or a direct mailer sending to your home based on income in your subdivision?

    Is anyone at this point so naive as to believe that every internet post and search isn't fodder for a profile that's valuable to advertisers, including political operatives?

    Duh.
     
    murray t turtle likes this.
  8. zdreg

    zdreg

    it sounds like magazine subscriptions. the solution is to allow people to opt out when they signup for a magazine/ service.
     
  9. Wait until they find out the consumer data available from the major credit repositories!
     
  10. lovethetrade

    lovethetrade Guest

    There should be full disclosure so users know exactly what they're getting into when they let apps access their FB profile. FB makes it seem like there's nothing really going on that will have any affect on the user.
     
    #10     Mar 21, 2018