Is the Internet Targeting You?
On any social media platform you have probably seen some ads that look very familiar. Big companies use a technique called targeted advertising where they observe what links you click on, what websites you look at and what pictures you view to determine which ads to show you. So next time you click that picture of a cute dog, don't be surprised to see a dog food ad later in the day.
It sounds like these companies are just doing their job but when you do it illegally it becomes a big problem. Google, the owner of YouTube, was recently fined $170 million by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating privacy policies. YouTube uses targeted advertising on all of their users, even the kids on their child version of the app (ages 7 and younger). The problem is that they were collecting data from these children without express consent from the parents/guardians. Commissioner of the FTC, Rohit Chopra, explained his logic for the fine, "[YouTube] baited kids with nursery rhymes, cartoons and more to feed its massively profitable behavioral advertising business". YouTube has taken steps in the past to try and make the site safer for kids (Click to see an article/video from CNN ), but this will be a new obstacle they have to face in order to meet new policy standards.
Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, argues that as great as it is that people finally found out about this, he thinks the fine was too small. Chester believes that companies can break laws with no real major consequences and therefore won't be scared to do the exact same thing in the future.
Do you believe that this fine was a fair price to pay? Should it be more?
How can you make sure you're being safe on social media?
How do you know if a link is safe to click on?
I find it interesting that these large companies didn't attempt to argue that users agree to be tracked when they use their platform. However, I do understand that it is unfair to track young kids as many of them aren't mature enough to know what they are agreeing to and what being tracked means.
ReplyDeleteFrom Mimi:
ReplyDelete“Ad targeting has always creeped me out so much. For a company valued at 750 billion, 170 million feels like a light slap on the wrist. Considering the effect invasions of privacy like this can have on public decision-making and the spread of misinformation, the fine should have been more.”
Great post, Andy! Nice sources included. I find it especially troubling that kids are targeted.
ReplyDeleteOne suggestion: transition more smoothly at the end of your post where you include the questions for your reader.