Facebook on hot seat over leaked report
Social media giant claims it can detect how you are feeling
SAN FRANCISCO Facebook admits it didn’t follow its own policies when it showed at least one advertiser how to reach emotionally insecure and vulnerable teens.
But, it says, Facebook does not offer tools to target advertising to users based on their emotional state.
According to a report by The Australian, the social network shared a 23-page presentation with a bank that showed Facebook’s ability to detect when users as young as 14 are feeling emotions such as defeat, stress, anxiety or simply being overwhelmed.
“Anticipatory emotions are more likely to be expressed early in the week, while reflective emotions increase on the weekend,” according to the leaked Facebook presentation. “Monday-Thursday is about building confidence; the weekend is for broadcasting achievements.”
Facebook said sharing the research was an “oversight.” It also said the data were collected anonymously and was not used to target ads.
“Facebook has an established process to review the research we perform. This research did not follow that process, and we are reviewing the details to correct the oversight,” the company said in a blog post.
The leaked presentation is yet another reminder of the vast data collection and analysis operation that Facebook runs on its nearly 2 billion users, much of which can be used to target ads with precision. That capability got Facebook into hot water when it flouted housing discrimination laws by targeting an ad based on race. Facebook also stirred up plenty of strong emotions in 2014 when its researchers manipulated the types of updates people saw in their News Feed.
“Facebook does not offer tools to target people based on their emotional state,” the company said Sunday. “The analysis done by an Australian researcher was intended to help marketers understand how people express themselves on Facebook. It was never used to target ads and was based on data that was anonymous and aggregated.”