The Facebook Ads Teens Aren't Supposed To See 111
schwit1 writes in with this story about Facbook's questionable ads including webcam modeling and diet drugs. "Sophie Bean, 14, of Sequim, Wash., said she was thought she was 'liking' a Facebook ad related to fashion modeling. Instead, it promoted a Facebook page that recruited adult webcam models. 'I just thought it was for modeling, and I'm interested in that, and I thought it would help me out,' Sophie said. Sophie wasn't the only teen connecting with the page, which Facebook statistics show is most popular with users 13 to 17. Clicking on it didn't pull the teens into nude webcam modeling, but did mean they would receive the page's updates and could be mentioned in future versions of the ad."
News at 11 (Score:1)
Stupid American brat clicks on Facebook ad she doesn't like. The world is shocked.
Clearly important for the new slashdot "pro beta" crowd!
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Stupid American brat clicks on Facebook ad she doesn't like.
Er, no, she did "like" it, that's the point. However, I don't know if she, like, "like" liked it or not.
Re: Be that as it may... (Score:2, Insightful)
Upper 1% of hotness? Have you actually looked at models? It's 'uniqueness'. There's still a requirement for symmetry, but not for beauty.
Tyra banks? Huge forehead. Mills jovovich? Kind of cute but also slightly androgynous. Most other models have wide set eyes and weird chins. They are in essence, outliers of hotness...also known as being kind of ugly.
You know what's scientifically proven to be hot? Average-ness. If you're symmetrical and your facial features approximate an average of all human phenotypes,
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Upper 1% of hotness? Have you actually looked at models? ... They are in essence, outliers of hotness...also known as being kind of ugly.
Again, if you want to be a model...you just need to look weirder than most people.
You know you're gay, right?
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I'm sure he thinks the SI swimsuit and Victoria's Secret models are exceptions. I'd think so anyway. I know a lot of the fashion runway models are a little strange looking.
Re: Be that as it may... (Score:5, Interesting)
First off it's like 0.0001% of girls. Second off models have a half life of 19mo. Third what go said about uniqueness is true, but if you watch Top Model and other shows you see the most defining trait is being rail thin. If you're super skinny and not deformed and can do the pout face (blue steel!) then they can paint you with makeup and light you well and shoot with pro cameras and pro photographers, and you will look like a model.
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...after a few hours of retouching in Photoshop...
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Re:News at 11 (Score:4, Insightful)
Stupid American brat clicks on Facebook ad she doesn't like. The world is shocked.
No... the news will be parent sues ad company for advertising underaged teens as webcam models. From the summary:
Clicking on it (the ad) ....... did mean they would receive the page's updates and could be mentioned in future versions of the ad.
So when the ad company automatically uses a teens photos in a new version of the ad... Some parents might get slightly angry, and a lawsuit and police charges probably wouldn't be impossible.
:)
Anyways, I for one am looking forward to that story
Adblock! (Score:1)
Adblock to the rescue! (And fuck Facebook. Hope they go bankrupt.)
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Adblock to the rescue! (And fuck Facebook. Hope they go bankrupt.)
You have the option to leave if you want to.
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You have the option to leave if you want to.
Resistance is futile.
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Re:Adblock! (Score:5, Interesting)
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Well, it's better than the perpetual NSA account. There probably isn't even a form to request an NSA account deletion.
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Not today you don't. If you decide to leave today you will not be allowed to do so for a couple of weeks. Facebook will keep your account active for two weeks after you request it be deleted. Just an FYI ...
And for some reason you just won't be able to resist signing in to it?
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What the hell are you babbling about? Do you even have any idea yourself. When I told them to delete my account (which I only created to get ahold of one person I couldn't contact otherwise), they told me: "No. We refuse to honor your request. We'll do it in a couple of weeks ... maybe ... but for now it stays despite your wishes." Are you really too stupid to understand that?
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That's correct. That's the big deal. If you are too stupid to figure out why, that really isn't my problem.
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That's correct. That's the big deal.
Why is that a big deal?
Just relax and try to discuss this in a more measured manner, you're clearly getting extremely worked up and emotional about this issue so just calm down and tell me what the real problem is. So your profile exists for 2 weeks after you asked them to delete it, how does that affect your ability to not use facebook?
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That's correct. That's the big deal. If you are too stupid to figure out why, that really isn't my problem.
I'm not sure my not knowing how you rationalize your paranoia about FB taking its time deleting your profile in any way suggests I'm stupid. Let's stipulate though that I am. Please explain then, in terms even I can understand, why it is a big deal. You never had to provide any accurate, let alone secret, information about yourself. You don't have to "Like" anything, or post any pictures of your pets, or click on any adverts, or send or accept any "Friend Requests", or even log in. So then, what is the big
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This is because my account is still active. As you point out, I will continue to get friend requests. Also, that for those two weeks my account can be compromised. The best part is that said compromise constitutes an excuse to keep my account open.
OK. That's twice you've asked now. It must really be important to you to understand this, so I will continue to explain some more.
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By telling me, in effect: Hey Asshole. We'll delete your account if and when we want to, but we sure in the hell aren't doing it when you ask us to. they set a dangerous precedent, and make clear that they will do whatever the hell they please with your^H^H^H^Htheir account.
Are you starting to see the issue now?
No, but I see what you think is the issue. Before, you just sounded unreasonable. Now you seem maybe hyper-vigilant, but at least not nuts.
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It's not really deleted though. You can't sign up again with the same email address, so they must keep at lest that much on file. Why just keep previously used email addresses though, what use could they have on their own?
I'm currently trying to get Apple to delete my Apple account too. They say they did but that I can't sign up with the same email address ever again, which means they didn't. Currently they claim their engineers are looking into ways to remove it, but of course even if they claim to have do
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Re: Adblock! (Score:1)
Unfortunately kids are being forced to sign up at age 8 in school. They aren't being given a choice... Their privacy is being ripped away from them before they even know what that means.
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[citation needed]
Re:Adblock! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Adblock! (Score:5, Informative)
I have AdBlock set to block a couple of facebook domains wholesale ... that sped up my browser quite noticeably.
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Any number of ways ... the simplest being your HOSTS file ... on Linux it's in /etc/hosts ... on Win32 it's in Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts ... on OSX it's in /private/etc/hosts ... the format of the HOSTS file is documented here ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_(file) ...
facebook domains to block (route to 127.0.0.1) are:
facebook.com
www.facebook.com
www.facebook.net
www.facebook.org
connect.facebook.net
static.ak.facebook.com
s-static.ak.facebook.com
Unfortunately, HOSTS syntax does not allow wildcar
Good example (Score:5, Insightful)
This clearly demonstrates that "you" are the product!
Good Grief (Score:4, Interesting)
This clearly demonstrates that "you" are the product!
Yes, yes, yes... We know this already. So much so, in fact it's now an official Slashdot meme.
But of course we are intelligent educated adults with good sense, so we understand this and know how to avoid being sucked in, right?
The case in point demonstrates at least (but probably more) two things: One, children (the story is about a 13 year old) are not generally as "worldly wise" as us intelligent educated adults with good sense, and that Facebook is facilitating a commercial activity that potentially exploits vulnerable people, some of whom are minors.
Shocking? Perhaps, but this is just one that slipped through to be discovered. Of course we are the product, and being the product, it goes without saying that we will be exploited while using Facebook. Or *any* "social media" including Slashdot
This just shows how low things have sunk, something that should have been expected.
There's nothing wrong with "erotica" and indeed there are many who think that there is nothing wrong with children discovering "erotica", but there are limitations, exploiting vulnerable woman (and men) is questionable, and a promotional system that allows for the exploitation of children is certainly well "across the line".
Facebook is a big machine, perhaps they were not aware of this "problem" customer. They should at least be afforded the opportunity to take care of this and perhaps close the hole.
But yes, I think we already know that we are Facebook's "product".
Re:Good Grief (Score:5, Funny)
There's nothing wrong with "erotica"
Waldorf: "There's nothing like a good erotic webcam show."
Statler: "And that was nothing like a good erotic webcam show!"
American Indian, right? (Score:2)
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No, it clearly demonstrates this girl, like so many others is a moron who just clicks on things with out investigating what's she's clicking on...
multiple levels of scaryness (Score:3, Insightful)
said she was thought she was 'liking' a Facebook ad related to fashion modeling.
Wow... I understand she's only 14 and all, but we really need to start making sure kids understand how the internet works, and that every single thing they do is data-mined and used to monitize them... and not for their benefit! That they should NEVER "like" a facebook ad, and even better, should only be online using adblock.
It's scary that someone who's 14 is unaware of how to protect themselves online, and it's scary that we're not as a society teaching them this, just like we teach them reading, writing, math, history, civil rights, and balancing a budget. Knowing how to protect yourself in the digital world is now just as important as knowing how to protect yourself in the real world.
Re:multiple levels of scaryness (Score:5, Insightful)
[...] just like we teach them reading, writing, math, history, civil rights, and balancing a budget.
Actually, I don't believe that we tend to teach them any of those things either.
Seems more like sleazy advertisers (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean - I get it, we should all be aware on line. But it's not the end of the world to "like" a product manufacturer or service provider. It can be a symbiotic relationship - I like your stuff and want to keep abreast of what you're doing so I "like" your page and get updates. That might be the release of a new octocopter, or a new show opening at Disney World, or casting dates for an indie film, or a coupon for a new makeup product.
This sounds more like false advertising from a sleazy online porn shop. So, yes, we should all be aware; but we shouldn't be paranoid.And, yes, I think Facebook has a role/responsibility in vetting their advertisers and leveraging their data for appropriate marketing targets.
Re:multiple levels of scaryness (Score:5, Interesting)
Wow... I understand she's only 14 and all, but we really need to start making sure kids understand how the internet works
I'm not going to argue against this because it is clearly a good idea to teach your children how to take care of themselves and avoid trouble.
But I do feel that the way the laws regarding advertising like this isn't applied in a way that is equal to everyone.
If a large company were to manually target a 14 year old for nude modelling that would be considered to be a large criminal network and highly illegal.
If an individual were to manually target a 14 year old for nude modelling he/she would be considered a pedophile.
If an individual were through automation targeting a 14 year old for nude modelling it could be taken into consideration that it wasn't intentional but even if he/she isn't considered a pedophile he/she will never get a proper work again and will have a hard time if moving to a community with children in it.
Why is it that it is suddenly OK just because it is an automated service from a large company. Does responsibility go out the window just because you let a computer do it instead of doing it manually?
For industrial machinery the developer is to some extent responsible if people get hurt, that is one reason development of them is expensive.
I feel that it is a bit strange that one can avoid the law by automating a task. It might not be possible to prove intention but Facebook has the resources to at least try to figure out that this kind of thing could happen and take precautions to prevent it.
If they can't reasonably prevent certain ads to be shown for minors then they could at least avoid selling advertising space to services that isn't suitable for many of their users.
Yes, it will cut into their profits. Good, not everything should be profitable.
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Maybe because there is a difference between someone "targetting" someone and publishing something with a "target audience" in mind.
Only if the company booked facebook to a show an ad only to 14 year old girls, this would be actual targetting. If they just booked the ad for a, say, generally femaile audience, 14 year olds might still see it, but would not be targetted.
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Not just the Internet. But that guy with the fedora, mink coat and lots of bling.
Re:multiple levels of scaryness (Score:4, Funny)
Not just the Internet. But that guy with the fedora, mink coat and lots of bling.
On one hand he's using Fedora. A Linux user can't be that bad. But on the other hand he's using Bing, there's just no excuse for that.
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and balancing a budget.
who taught them this? certainly not congress.
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They should never be using Facebook, either.
We should be telling them not to use their real na (Score:2)
They are actively encouraged by expensive marketing to expose themselves online. Adults are not resisting it so why expect the kids to have more guts and resist?
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It is for adults that act like kids.
FTFY
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Best comment I've seen in a while, too bad you posted AC.
Re:I'm from Portugal (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm not sure people from most other countries understand the "think of the CHIIIIILDREN!" hysteria that grips the Anglophone world on a regular basis. We seem to have developed this bizarre idea that people are supposed to be completely sheltered from the world until they reach the age of legal adulthood ... at which point they're supposed to know in every particular how to deal with the responsibility that entails.
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Well my 14 year old niece thinks she knows everything.
So desperate already? (Score:5, Insightful)
Typically, porn-related ads are a sign of a desperate website.
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Typically, porn-related ads are a sign of a desperate website.
Creating an advert that takes advantage of the Facebook API, and than buying screen time on Facebook does not involve human interaction of any kind on Facebook's part.
A flaw? Perhaps. But your thesis is not supported by this occurrence.
First, there is nothing wrong at all about advertising adult services to adults. While the majority of Americans are prudes, there are some that are not.
Second, you know as well as I do that as soon as Facebook became / becomes aware of this incident, they will remove it.
Sure
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Creating an advert that takes advantage of the Facebook API, and than buying screen time on Facebook does not involve human interaction of any kind on Facebook's part.
yes, clearly it is a brilliant idea to take that into consideration and remove all responsibility from everyone that automates their work in the interest of higher profit margins.
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If they were less desperate, the default for positing unseen ads wouldn't be yes. Surely they, like every other corporation big enough to have a PR dept. is well aware that there are some things they just don't want to be associaited with.
Worst thing since... (Score:2, Insightful)
This is the worst thing since newspaper classified ads recruited women for phone sex.
Remember newspaper classified ads? They were like Craigslist, except you had to buy the newspaper to see them.
Wait (Score:5, Funny)
Wait... there are still people under the age of 35 on facebook?
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zing!
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There are 14 year old girls who are not already doing nude webcam modeling?
I'm SHOCKED! (Score:4, Funny)
This is awful! I'm shocked! SHOCKED, I tell you! I'm going to write to my congressman and tell him... Tell him... Um...
Wait, what exactly am I supposed to be outraged about here?
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Porn and children, terrorism, drugs, atheists, homosexuality, evolution.
Huh huh. Heh heh. (Score:2)
They tried to get her to pose nude, and she lives in "see quim"?
So, what page was it? (Score:2)
Diet drugs? (Score:2)
aren't teenager the main target for such products?
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As far as advertising naked internet webcam show for pay to kids, yes this is illegal, but face the facts. If a kid is interested in modeling, the most likely way to make money without allowing oneself to be physically molested and becoming addicted to drugs and actually making m
Pronunciation Guide (Score:2)
In case you're wondering "Sequim" is pronounced "skwim" excatly like "swim" with a "K" after the "S".
a great analogy (Score:1)
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If you weren't an idiot at least once when you were 14 then you are not human.
Some Facebook ads are just disgusting (Score:2)
I usually run adblock+ on my browsers so I don't see that many ads, and because of that, I not clicked on any ads.
But at one time I did log in to Facebook using a computer that did not have adblock+ installed and the ads were the type I really did not expect even Facebook to allow. It was really just porn ads disguised as someone sending me a personal message or whatever.
When they have no problems going that low, I feel even better about using adblock+.
For other reasons, I have not logged in to Facebook for
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wait... why is this wrong again? (Score:1)
Isn't it based on old traditions and superstition about 14 year olds and sexuality?
Because by the time she's about that age, she's taken nude pictures of herself however many times, and has lost her virginity. And by age 16 or 18 she's going to perform her first sex act, strip, or webcam scene for money. What is the deal with introducing this information to her at 14, exactly, and why should she not be able to handle it on her own (to dismiss or accept it, for her own individual purposes)?..