Facebook tries to block NYU's research into political ads

[wraith808]

Facebook tries to block tool aimed at promoting transparency around political ads

Facebook has told researchers at New York University to stop using a digital tool that tracks how people are targeted with political ads ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The demand, sent last week and confirmed by NYU on Friday, centers on the academics’ use of a web browser plug-in that gives Facebook users a way to share specific political ads they are seeing on the site.

Political advertisers primarily target their ads to specific demographic groups, so the NYU tool — which collects roughly 16,000 ads each week — allows researchers to see how campaigns and other groups are crafting messages to voters based on race, age, location or other criteria.

In its notice to NYU, Facebook said that the use of the plug-in broke the company’s terms of service, and ordered the academics to stop using the tool by Nov. 30 or face “additional enforcement action." NYU said it will not take it down.

“We’re not going to comply with it,” Laura Edelson, an NYU researcher who is part of the project, told POLITICO. “What we are doing is perfectly legal and is in the public interest.”

More at link

[Stoic Joker]

There is no such thing as enough transparency when it comes to politicians..

There should be an independent fact checking organization that puts a lie meter overlay on every political ad that airs...every time it airs.

And the politicians should be forced to wear sponsorship patches prominently on their person at all times - like NASCAR drivers - so we all know who is paying them to think which way.

We should have a mashup between Hollywood style paparrazi, and hacking challenge bugg hunts motoring them 24/7/365 for misbehavior and deception … Including the huge cash prizes for good finds.

...ThaT might be a good start.

[x16wda]

^ This.