How much influence did the Facebook ads have on Brexit and the US election? And, do you think the technology is still being used to manipulate people today?
The documentary was really interesting. I'd heard that the election was won with Facebook ads, but I didn't know the full story. It turns out that Cambridge Analytica mined a ton of Facebook data and was able to identify people whose minds were able to be switched about the election. Then, they targeted those specific voters in areas that mattered for the sake of electoral collage votes, loading them down with anti-Hillary stuff and pro-Trump stuff.
There was also information about how the same methodology was used to create rifts in society- that foreign governments were the ones arranging "black lives matter" and "blue lives matter" rallies to divide the country.
It's some seriously scary stuff. I work in marketing and the companies I work with do leverage demographic data to target their ideal customer with ads. I don't think of it as "harmful" in that sense. I mean, the last round of ads I created for a company related to bathroom renovations. But, you can get really specific about who should see the ad, so you're not wasting money showing ads to people who won't be interested in the service. So, I see that stuff work every single day. I can totally see how the same process could be used to derail the democratic process or create chaos in a society.
But, to say you will not be manipulated... can you be so sure? We're hit with general marketing messages all the time. Why'd you buy the last drink you bought? Why do you have the internet or cable provider you do? Why do you make any choice right now? Chances are, you are at least influenced a little bit by marketing. What they did with Facebook isn't any different.It just has much darker implications.
I'd like to think that those of us who are here on sites like the Mug are informed. That we're the type of people who read both sides and take a proactive approach- we consider various aspects and make an informed decision on any topic. Plus, we aren't using algorithms here and don't have those types of ads. But, if you're sucked into an information bubble where somebody wants to convince you that taking a certain stance is right, and all you see 24/7 is propaganda, can you be so sure you won't fall for it? How?
This really explains the polarization of our country. Half the nation is consistently getting one message and the other half is getting a totally different message. It's really unsettling.
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