Facebook Essentially Has Been Telling Advertisers It Can Reach More People Than Actually Exist, Analyst Finds
Recently, Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser was intrigued by a trade publication study in Australia that said Facebook was claiming to reach 1.7 million more 16- to 39-year olds than actually existed in the country, according to Australian census data. In reproducing the study for the U.S., Wieser said Facebook’s Ads Manager claims it can potentially reach 41 million 18- to 24-year-olds, 60 million 25- to 34-year-olds, and 61 million 35- to 49-year-olds. The problem arises when Wieser pulls up U.S. Census data from a year ago, showing 31 million 18- to 24-year-olds, 45 million 25- to 34-year-olds, and 61 million 35- to 49-year-olds. The upshot: Where is Facebook getting the extra 25 million 18- to 34-year-olds that the U.S. census did not count? ” </>
Facebook says it sold political ads to a “shadowy Russian company seeking to target voters” during 2016 election.
Facebook traced the political ads to the Internet Research Agency, aka the troll farm based in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Facebook made $100,000 on ads during 2016 election A “Russian troll farm” was behind hundreds of fake news pages.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/06/facebook-russian-group-spent-100-000-on-fake-news-ads/
According to the Post, Facebook has told US congressional investigators that it sold the ads to a “Russian troll farm” that has a history of “pro-Kremlin” propaganda. Specifically, a Facebook official is reported to have said that “there is evidence that some of the accounts are linked to a troll farm in St. Petersburg, referred to as the Internet Research Agency, though we have no way to independently confirm.”
https://twitter.com/profcarroll/status/905524719914549249
THE SECRET STORY OF HOW AMERICAN MINDS WERE MANIPULATED DURING THE 2016 ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND HOW DONALD TRUMP’S BACKERS ARE MAKING MONEY OFF IT. https://archive.is/Ytpy3
Facebook helped elect Trump with stolen user data from Cambridge Analytica
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#Facebook Blocked an Ad for a March Against White Supremacy
Facebook made it possible for companies and campaigns to target advertisements to racists users. But when it comes to advertising an event aimed specifically at fighting racism, well, that’s a different story.