NEW: our case study, described today by @FT @madhumita29, shows that Facebook pushes anxiety-fuelling ads at a young mother worried about her toddler’s health, even after she disabled all health-related interests in ad settings.
#AlgorithmsOfTrauma
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#AlgorithmsOfTrauma
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https://twitter.com/fttechnews/status/1442701157869228032
Together with @sapiezynski we analysed over 2,000 ads she saw over 2 months. 1 in 5 was related to health, often in parenting context (terminally ill kids, fertility problems). Facebook attributed 21 health-related interests to her, e.g. oncology, genetic disorder, neoplasm. 2/6
It turns out that Facebook’s ad control tools are useless: even though the user had disabled all sensitive interests, the platform *continued* to push disturbing ads at her, and to infer *new* health-related traits (e.g. MRI, intensive care unit).
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❗️What it means: ❗️
➡️Facebook’s ad settings seem to only limit advertisers’ targeting options, but do *not* influence the platform-controlled algorithm
➡️Facebook, through the use of ad delivery algorithms, may exploit mental vulnerabilities for surveillance advertising
4/6
➡️Facebook’s ad settings seem to only limit advertisers’ targeting options, but do *not* influence the platform-controlled algorithm
➡️Facebook, through the use of ad delivery algorithms, may exploit mental vulnerabilities for surveillance advertising
4/6
This is not a bug. Algorithmic fixation on “engagement” and ad profit ignores collateral damage, such as users’ mental health.
#DigitalServicesAct should regulate not only how advertisers target ads, but - more importantly - how platforms choose users most likely to click.
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#DigitalServicesAct should regulate not only how advertisers target ads, but - more importantly - how platforms choose users most likely to click.
5/6
This is why last week Panoptykon, together with a broad coalition of 49 civil society organisations, incl. @edri, @EFF, @accessnow, @AmnestyTech, @EPDeu called on members of the European Parliament to #fixalgorithms.
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https://twitter.com/panoptykon/status/1440586731460259845
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Read more about our case study: 👇en.panoptykon.org/algorithms-of-…
@AlexandraGeese @paultang @finnmyrstad @tristanharris @doctorow @BrusselsGeek @BertuzLuca @FantaAlexx @riptari @swodinsky @why0hy @JuliaAngwin @oliviasolon @SamuelStolton @satariano @clothildegouj @markscott82 @mikarv
@AlexandraGeese @paultang @finnmyrstad @tristanharris @doctorow @BrusselsGeek @BertuzLuca @FantaAlexx @riptari @swodinsky @why0hy @JuliaAngwin @oliviasolon @SamuelStolton @satariano @clothildegouj @markscott82 @mikarv
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