There are mistargeted ads, and then there are egregiously, woefully, outrageously mistargeted ads. The one I saw when I opened Facebook this afternoon falls into the latter category. This is it:
It appeared at the top of the right-hand column of the browser version of my homepage. It looks to be a low-cost, high-volume Marketplace ad for a group dedicated to advocating for gun ownership rights. Unlike the premium ad units called Sponsored Stories, Marketplace ads aren’t social (ie. you don’t see them based on your friends’ activities and preferences) but they can be targeted in several ways, including demographically or by interest. “Broad category targeting” allows ads to be ”shown to people who’ve included information in their timelines relevant to that category.”
Read the full article: Hey Facebook, Don't Show Me Ads With Assault Rifles, Okay? - Forbes
It appeared at the top of the right-hand column of the browser version of my homepage. It looks to be a low-cost, high-volume Marketplace ad for a group dedicated to advocating for gun ownership rights. Unlike the premium ad units called Sponsored Stories, Marketplace ads aren’t social (ie. you don’t see them based on your friends’ activities and preferences) but they can be targeted in several ways, including demographically or by interest. “Broad category targeting” allows ads to be ”shown to people who’ve included information in their timelines relevant to that category.”
Read the full article: Hey Facebook, Don't Show Me Ads With Assault Rifles, Okay? - Forbes