Article 11.06.2019 1 min. read Text Who Targets Me (us) and What Can I (we) Do About It – Katarzyna Szymielewicz's speech at the 2019 edition of Personal Democracy Forum is already available online (on YouTube). We live in social networks on tech platforms. We were attracted there with the promise of access (to all the information possible), choice (personalised experience) and community. We would still like to think of ourselves as users. But after more than 10 years of this experiment we should rather define ourselves as targets. Our online profiles, based on three layers of data, serves as an exploited resource for commerical entities that organise our online life. The predictions that they form on the basis of our profiles are used to influence us, also in the context of politics. There is, however, scarce evidence of how the so-called political microtargeting is used. Tools developed by tech platforms have limitations: all we see are Facebook profiles and not real names, there is no detailed information abour criteria used for targeting, and we have to rely on what Facebook itself classified as political. Apart from new transparency and electoral regulations we need stronger evidence on what is really going on. And here comes our role as civil society organisations. This year, on the occassion of European elections and Polish parliamentary elections Panoptykon will test transparency tools for political advertising prepared by Facebook and Google as well as use the WhoTargetsMe plugin and build up our research with other methods. Support our work! Donate to the Panoptykon Foundation Fundacja Panoptykon Author Previous Next See also Report Algorithms of trauma: new case study shows that Facebook doesn’t give users real control over disturbing surveillance ads A case study examined by Panoptykon Foundation and showcased by the Financial Times, demonstrates how Facebook uses algorithms to deliver personalised ads that may exploit users’ mental vulnerabilities. The experiment shows that users are unable to get rid of disturbing content: disabling sensitive… 28.09.2021 Text Article Three layers of your digital profile Your online profile is not always built on facts. It is shaped by technology companies and advertisers who make key decisions based on their interpretation of seemingly benign data points: what movies you choose watch, the time of day you tweet, or how long you take to click on a cat video. 18.03.2019 Text Article Anxious about your health? Facebook won’t let you forget There is little point in telling Facebook which posts you do not want to see – it will not listen. 07.12.2023 Text
