Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Academic who collected 50 million Facebook profiles: ‘We thought we were doing something normal’
The Verge ^ | 21 March 2018 | James Vincent

Posted on 03/22/2018 1:58:57 AM PDT by blueplum

....Kogan’s comments, made to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, describe an environment of permissive data-gathering and lax privacy policies. “We thought we were acting perfectly appropriately. We thought we were doing something that was really normal,” Kogan said. “My view is that I’m being basically used as a scapegoat by both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.” {snip}

Whether or not the Facebook data helped swing the election for Trump is unclear, although experts are skeptical. “I think Cambridge Analytica is a better marketing company than a targeting company,” one academic studying political microtargeting told The Verge this week.

Speaking to Radio 4, Kogan echoed these sentiments, saying Cambridge Analytica had tried to sell “magic” but that its efforts “could have only hurt [Trump’s] campaign.”

“The accuracy of this data has been extremely exaggerated,” said Kogan. “In practice my best guess is that we were six times more likely to get everything wrong about a person as we were to get everything right about a person. I personally don’t think micro-targeting is an effective way to use such datasets.”

(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: datagate; facebook; surveillance; zuckerberg
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last
To: blueplum

Back in 2012 when Obama was doing it, it was no problem....


21 posted on 03/22/2018 5:31:28 AM PDT by knighthawk (We will always remember We will always be proud We will always be prepared so we may always be free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Darksheare
Yes collecting "data" on 50 MILLION PEOPLE most of which are American CITIZENS without their permission or knowledge is perfectly "normal" if you are working for the East German secret police, the Soviet KGB or 1984's "ministry of 'truth'".

These people make me sick and knowing what we have known for years about Facebook; people have to be out of their minds to post ANYTHING about themselves or their families and friends on Facebook.

Facebook is EVIL!

22 posted on 03/22/2018 5:55:29 AM PDT by Jmouse007 (Lord God Almighty, deliver us from this evil in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: eclecticEel
Isn’t the whole point of Facebook to broadcast personal info about yourself to the word?

For most, it's just the "highlight reel", they don't usually post personally damaging stuff.

There's a reason we call it "Fakebook".

23 posted on 03/22/2018 7:14:41 AM PDT by thulldud ("What makes it news is its dissemination, not its concrete reality." -- Ellul)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Suckerberg was mighty proud when his data harvester helped Obama’s campaign, but is now so very ashamed it might have helped Trump’s.

Hypocrite (and fascist), thy name is Liberal, Progressive, Democrat, Zuckerberg, Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.


24 posted on 03/22/2018 8:05:29 AM PDT by polymuser (Its terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged today. - Chestern)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

This was hardly the first use of “targeted marketing.”

Virtually everything the Trump campaign is accused of, Obama did 4 years earlier.

This is yet another brazen use of a usual leftist tactic; namely accusing the opponent of doing what they have already done themselves.

Trump is the first Republican in recent memory with the balls to fight back. Bush, McCain and Romney went down meekly without a whimper.


25 posted on 03/22/2018 8:09:55 AM PDT by truth_seeker ( EQUAL A)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pepsionice

You realize that the “free” online tax filing sites are doing the exact same thing. The only difference is their information is a ton more accurate with respect to income, location and gross spending habits.


26 posted on 03/22/2018 8:45:21 AM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sgt_Schultze

My credit union offered me ‘free’ online use of tax software. I looked at the whole deal, and you would never be able to keep your own copy of what you did....the credit union would be keeping that copy. At that point, I just grinned and said ‘no thanks’.


27 posted on 03/22/2018 8:52:11 AM PDT by pepsionice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Diogenesis
theft of personal info done in secret and then sold.

You do realize that FaceBook makes their money by selling all your data which you agree to give them for free, right?

28 posted on 03/22/2018 9:50:51 AM PDT by itsahoot (Welcome to the New USA where Islam is a religion of peace and Christianity is a mental disorder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

29 posted on 03/22/2018 11:47:38 AM PDT by Oatka (tHE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

When they figured out how stupid liberals were, they had to can the whole project.


30 posted on 03/22/2018 12:07:50 PM PDT by Trillian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Wilhelm Tell

Exactly!


31 posted on 03/22/2018 2:58:08 PM PDT by Pagey (8 years of MISERY, Thanks to Valerie Jarrett. Wretched human.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson