A research paper cited in an article in the Australian newspaper The Australian, but without having published it, reveals that Facebook uses teenage users and how they "feel" to display relevant ads. According to a report by the British news network BBC, Facebook confirmed that the findings of its research were passed on to advertising companies, stressing, however, that the text of the Australian newspaper was "misleading".
"Facebook does not offer tools to target people based on their emotional state," the social networking service said in a statement. "The analysis carried out by an Australian researcher was aimed at helping advertisers understand how people express themselves on Facebook. It was never used for advertising purposes and was based on data that is anonymous and aggregated. Facebook uses a specific process to examine the research we conduct.
In this particular investigation, this procedure was not followed and we are examining the details in order to correct the mistake ".
According to Australian, the report was read by advertisers working in the country's major banks, while the authors are Facebook executives David Fernandez and Andy Sin. The document states that Facebook has the ability to monitor photos and other posts of users who may feel "anxious", "defeated", "anxious", "nervous", "stupid", "shocked", "stupid" or "stupid". failed ".
The survey covered Facebook users only in Australia and New Zealand.
Facebook has received strong criticism in the past for exploiting users' posts for research purposes. In 2014, it was revealed that the company had deliberately shown specific content to 70.000 users to see if their emotions could be manipulated, the BBC reported.
Source: RES - EIA