Ajoint investigationby The Guardian and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation found that 740,000 child under 18 years old are flag in Facebook ’s ad tools as being interested in gaming . Another 940,000 are mark as concerned in alcohol-dependent drinks . Part of the reason why this might have occurred is that Facebook does n’t break out interest categories by age or reason .
https://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-giving-advertisers-access-to-your-shadow-co-1828476051
There ’s plenty of way this automatic labeling can go improper . For starter , exploitatory games — think delusory dough box — can target children marked as concerned in gambling and that technically would n’t breach any of Facebook ’s rules . ( Facebook already get down in trouble earlier this twelvemonth forknowingly refusing refunds to parentswhose kids unwittingly racked up yard of dollars in charges . )
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Facebook currently lists ads cite alcohol and gaming as “ restricted content . ” For alcohol , Facebook ’s policy page states , “ Ads that promote or reference inebriant must comply with all applicable local police , required or set up industriousness code , guideline , licenses and approval , and admit geezerhood and country targeting criteria coherent with Facebook ’s targeting guidelines and applicable police force . ” For play , it notes substantial - money games or lotteries must have prior write permission and must target people 18 days or older .
A Facebook spokesperson state Gizmodo over e-mail , “ We do n’t allow ad that elevate the sale of alcohol or gambling to nipper on Facebook and we implement against this activity when we find it . We also work close with regulators to provide guidance for marketers to help them reach their consultation effectively and responsibly . ”
The problem is Facebook is n’t precisely proactive about advertizement that work afoul of its policies . It in the main trust on an automatise review process for ads that do n’t follow the rules . In a everlasting world , that means any advertizement that violated Facebook ’s policies would be reject before running . However , the world is not utter and neither is automated follow-up . As it stands , dubious ads could already reach a fry ’s orb before Facebook ’s even aware and can take action mechanism . Users can account ads , sure , but by then there ’s no telling how many people it ’s reached .
In universal , Facebook has fumbled how it handles children on its platform . While it does restrict anyone under 13 year old from take a leak business relationship , plenty of people break that rule and go unreported . It also only recentlystopped showing ads for ordnance accessoriesto nestling last year . Facebook launched a Messenger Kids app that ’s exclusively designed for kid as young as 6 last yr , in malice ofprotests from child health proponent . Then , this past July , it was reported that the applet children talk to unauthorized strangers — the one thing it was n’t supposed to foreclose .
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