UK and EU Investigate Facebook Over Unfair Use of Data in Digital Advertising (theguardian.com) 6
UK and EU regulators are investigating Facebook over whether it is abusing its dominance in digital advertising. From a report: It marks the first time the regulators have coordinated on a major inquiry since Brexit, and strikes at the core of Facebook's revenues, which rely heavily on selling advertising on its platform. The investigation will consider whether the social media giant has unfairly used its vast trove of data to compete with individuals and businesses that post adverts on Facebook Marketplace -- where people buy and sell goods daily -- or the Facebook Dating platform, which launched in Europe last year.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would work "closely" with the European commission to determine whether Facebook might be stifling competition by "abusing a dominant position in the social media or digital advertising markets." Facebook, which could be fined by regulators depending on their findings, has said that the investigations were launched "without merit."
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would work "closely" with the European commission to determine whether Facebook might be stifling competition by "abusing a dominant position in the social media or digital advertising markets." Facebook, which could be fined by regulators depending on their findings, has said that the investigations were launched "without merit."
Dark side of targeting advertisng (Score:5, Interesting)
I am not talking about privacy, but the fact that we have moved to an era of Targeted Advertising, which is a disservice to bother the User and the Advertiser. I had just bought myself a New Office Chair (My old one is 23 years old, makes my legs numb and my back sore). So now my Ad space is filled with Office Chairs that I am no longer looking to purchase anymore. Heck I had ads for a plastic Worm Gear for my Garage Door Opener for about a year after I had bought it.
Smaller firms who are selling product to a target audience, is often at a disservice with these targeted ads, because by the time the user hits the algorithm, the purchase is done and there is no longer a need for such services. I don't need an other Gutter mesh installed, nor do I need a new HVAC for my home, I don't need an other office chair, nor do I want to see ads from the Political Party that I don't care for, just because I had clicked a link from that side just to get a different context of the issue.
Re: (Score:2)
Also there's the problem of the advertising industry burning their bridges with consumers. I avoided using an ad-blocker for the longest time because the alternative I saw was having to pay to access each individual site. Then one day some scammer created a modal dialog that covered the entire screen demanding that one of my elderly relatives pay a fee to remove it. Fortunately I was able to talk them through it over the phone.. during work hours. >_ That did it, now it's about system security. Whic