Molly Wood Marketplace & Sarah Frier Bloomberg on FB targeting: control, addiction, & responsibility

TL;DR

Facebook's targeting capabilities and lack of transparency in ad placement raise concerns about how information is exchanged and who is targeted, as highlighted by the Mueller investigation.

Transcript

you know Jason what what I think is perhaps even more interesting than what the ads say since we already know it's gonna be divisive horrible stuff is the targeting yep you know if this was targeted to certain states to those states aligned with with the targeting that well they were but but are those the same states that campaign wanted to target ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🫠 The topic of ad targeting and transparency raises concerns about the influence and reach of platforms like Facebook and Google.
• 🪡 Facebook's previous issues with metrics and handling of controversies indicate a need for more proactive measures.
• 🎓 Facebook recently made changes to its ad targeting by blocking certain options to prevent discrimination based on job titles or education.
• 👤 Targeting users by race is a contentious issue and has implications for privacy and ethics.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Facebook know to target certain groups of people with specific ads?

Facebook likely used its extensive data and algorithms to target ads based on ad buyer requests. However, the lack of transparency in how this process works raises concerns.

Q: Is there a person at Facebook who approves the ads?

While some cases may involve a salesperson at Facebook, in many instances, automated systems handle the ad placement based on predefined criteria. However, accounts spending a significant amount of money may have a dedicated representative.

Q: Were the ads purchased in small chunks to avoid detection?

It is possible that the ad purchases were split into smaller amounts to evade scrutiny. By keeping each transaction below a specific threshold, the ads may have flown under the radar.

Q: Can other platforms, like Google, also facilitate the purchase of hateful ads?

Yes, BuzzFeed ran an experiment on Google's ad platform and discovered the ability to buy hateful ads. Furthermore, Google's AI even suggested even more hateful ads to target certain groups.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The focus of the content is on the targeting capabilities of Facebook ads and the lack of transparency in how ads are placed.

• The Mueller investigation aims to understand the sophistication of the ad targeting effort and where it originated.

• Facebook's vast data and algorithms are assumed to be used to direct ads based on ad buyer requests.