Researchers Show Facebook's Ad Tools Can Target a Single User (techcrunch.com) 23
A new research paper written by a team of academics and computer scientists from Spain and Austria has demonstrated that it's possible to use Facebook's targeting tools to deliver an ad exclusively to a single individual if you know enough about the interests Facebook's platform assigns them. TechCrunch reports: The paper -- entitled "Unique on Facebook: Formulation and Evidence of (Nano)targeting Individual Users with non-PII Data" -- describes a "data-driven model" that defines a metric showing the probability a Facebook user can be uniquely identified based on interests attached to them by the ad platform. The researchers demonstrate that they were able to use Facebook's Custom Audience tool to target a number of ads in such a way that each ad only reached a single, intended Facebook user.
The research raises fresh questions about potentially harmful uses of Facebook's ad targeting tools, and -- more broadly -- questions about the legality of the tech giant's personal data processing empire given that the information it collects on people can be used to uniquely identify individuals, picking them out of the crowd of others on its platform even purely based on their interests. The findings could increase pressure on lawmakers to ban or phase out behavioral advertising -- which has been under attack for years, over concerns it poses a smorgasbord of individual and societal harms. And, at the least, the paper seems likely to drive calls for robust checks and balances on how such invasive tools can be used. The findings also underscore the importance of independent research being able to interrogate algorithmic adtech -- and should increase pressure on platforms not to close down researchers' access.
The research raises fresh questions about potentially harmful uses of Facebook's ad targeting tools, and -- more broadly -- questions about the legality of the tech giant's personal data processing empire given that the information it collects on people can be used to uniquely identify individuals, picking them out of the crowd of others on its platform even purely based on their interests. The findings could increase pressure on lawmakers to ban or phase out behavioral advertising -- which has been under attack for years, over concerns it poses a smorgasbord of individual and societal harms. And, at the least, the paper seems likely to drive calls for robust checks and balances on how such invasive tools can be used. The findings also underscore the importance of independent research being able to interrogate algorithmic adtech -- and should increase pressure on platforms not to close down researchers' access.
What they don't tell you (Score:1)
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Not sure if you deserved the Funny mod you didn't get. Can't watch that video here. Care to summarize?
Mostly disappointed to see the topic dying with so little comment. Maybe this editor doesn't know how to effectively "pitch" important stories?
I'm married, does that make me immune? (Score:2)
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Was done as a practical joke in 2014 (Score:5, Informative)
Re: Was done as a practical joke in 2014 (Score:2)
Damn you!/Thank you for saving me the trouble of finding the link.
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It was also done in 2016 during the run-up to the brexit referendum in the UK. Cambridge Analytica micro-targeted people it had determined were gullible enough to vote against their own interests, and it was extremely effective.
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If you think that the Nazis were anti-homophobia, you have some interesting facts you'll get to learn. I recommend looking up who had to wear triangle patches in the 30's.
Re: Was done as a practical joke in 2014 (Score:2)
Re: Was done as a practical joke in 2014 (Score:2)
They targeted Remainers?
Kidding, but there's nothing as 'high and mighty' as saying someone else "voted against their best interests".
Brexit was caused by a myriad of reasons, and it will take more than a couple of years to assess whether it raised wages / decreased immigration, etc.
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There was a pig farmer on Radio 4 today complaining that she was having to cull pigs due to lack of workers. When asked about brexit she said she voted for it, but this wasn't what she voted for. She voted to control our borders and for people to be "more patriotic".
Then she asked for her vote to be respected. You couldn't make it up.
Max Headroom foreshadowed this (Score:2)
30 years ago [imdb.com].
Not Surprising it is finally possible (Score:2)
It's already been not difficult to figure out if a person has HIV, is gay, wants to overthrown the government, etc, through facebook ads. But one person?-- gasp!
My greatest take-away.. (Score:2)
My greatest take-away from the summary is that Faceplant is *NOT* a social media platform, it's...
-- Facebook is an ad platform. I've hardly heard it said better.
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Latest round of screenshots I've seen show that several people got FB jail for telling trolls who were attacking George Takei "don't be a homophobe" so IMHO, Mark Zuckerberg is a fucking nazi and Facebook should be fucking shut down.
Telling inbred trash not to harass Takei isn't "bullying", no matter how many times the nazi shit crap employees (or possibly, misogynistic/homophobic fucking Indian rejects who operate in moderation farms as their day jobs and scam call centers by night [youtube.com]) Fuckerberg hires say
Fuck Facebook Ads Report them! (Score:2)
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I wish ... (Score:3)
I suspect that this 'research' will just be picked up by Farcebook and used to justify higher ad rates to their customers.
Was done in 2017 too (Score:1)
It wasn't difficult, the advertiser had the e-mail addresses of the people he wanted to target.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/... [thedailybeast.com]