30 votes

Facebook has sent a cease-and-desist letter to two NYU researchers, demanding that they shut down their research into political ads and disinformation on FB’s platform

5 comments

  1. [4]
    nacho
    Link
    Yes, it appears that what the researchers are doing clearly breaks Facebook Terms of service. The issue is US law being stuck in the 20th century. There is no recourse for others to check how...

    Yes, it appears that what the researchers are doing clearly breaks Facebook Terms of service.

    The issue is US law being stuck in the 20th century. There is no recourse for others to check how these sites operate. The huge social media platforms have immense power, and are trying to set themselves up so that there is no way to have oversight into what they do. That's obviously a huge problem.

    Things like Facebook's new "supreme court" are attempts at short-circuting legislation by pointing at them doing things on their own, so they can control that as well. You don't let the fox guard the henhouse.

    We desperately need regulation. Right now Facebook and the rest can legally do what they're doing, and that's a huge problem. Not just for the US but for the whole English-speaking internet.

    18 votes
    1. [3]
      Omnicrola
      Link Parent
      Their what now? [....googles....] Wow, the fox guarding the henhouse indeed. Created by Facebook, paid by Facebook, to only deal with Facebook issues. Independent AF.

      Things like Facebook's new "supreme court" are attempts at short-circuting legislation by pointing at them doing things on their own,

      Their what now?

      [....googles....]

      Wow, the fox guarding the henhouse indeed. Created by Facebook, paid by Facebook, to only deal with Facebook issues. Independent AF.

      16 votes
      1. [2]
        ali
        Link Parent
        What’s next? The police investigating itself when there’s been unjust killings?

        What’s next? The police investigating itself when there’s been unjust killings?

        13 votes
        1. Omnicrola
          Link Parent
          No of course not, that would be rediculous! The well respected federal agency of police accountability will take care of that!

          No of course not, that would be rediculous! The well respected federal agency of police accountability will take care of that!

          9 votes
  2. spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Primary source is this Wall Street Journal article, but it's behind a hard paywall. This thread is from Alex Aldo, the litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia...

    Primary source is this Wall Street Journal article, but it's behind a hard paywall.

    This thread is from Alex Aldo, the litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which per the last tweet in the thread is now representing the two NYU researchers.

    At the center of the controversy is a browser plugin called Ad Observer which allows Facebook users to submit anonymized data about the political ads they see to the NYU Ad Observatory.

    That data has been used for investigative reporting, such as this from ProPublica: “Trumpcare” Does Not Exist. Nevertheless Facebook and Google Cash In on Misleading Ads for “Garbage” Health Insurance.

    6 votes