| Today's top tech stories: Facebook is in a public spat with a group of New York University researchers, and as you might expect, the giant technology company doesn't come across looking good. The short version: Researchers at the NYU Ad Observatory have been collecting data about the political ads that run on Facebook, including data describing how those ads are targeted. Users have shared the data with NYU through a browser extension that collects, among other things, information known as "Why am I seeing this" data, which explains what targeting criteria an advertiser used for a particular message. That kind of info isn't otherwise public. Facebook says the researchers are "scraping" data, which is against the company's terms of service. Facebook also claims the researchers are collecting more than just political ads, including data about non-political advertisers. Those advertisers never agreed to share that data, Facebook argues. On Tuesday, after months of negotiations between the two sides to try and find middle ground, Facebook suspended the researchers' accounts and cut their access to its API, the technology used to share data from Facebook to other apps or services. The outcry against Facebook was swift, and far-reaching. Virginia Senator Mark Warner called the decision "deeply concerning." PEN America said the company showed a "disregard for scrutiny." The researchers' response was similarly scathing. "Facebook is silencing us because our work often calls attention to problems on its platform," wrote Laura Edelson, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and the lead researcher behind the group. The pushback was to be expected. Facebook has shut down a research project looking into a very important and often misunderstood part of its business. It's a bad outcome, and the optics reflect that. But the reality, as it often tends to be, is more complicated. In this case, I think both groups have a valid argument. Researchers like those from NYU are trying to hold Facebook accountable, which is hard to do with a company that often hides its most important data. We deserve to know more about the political ads that run on Facebook, and the Ad Observatory was holding up a microscope. Ideally, the company would provide that transparency itself. "If Facebook were to make enough data publicly available, we would very happily retire this project because this isn't the best way to get data. We know that," Edelson said. "But right now, this is the best we can do because Facebook is not making enough data transparent." Facebook does have reason to worry about outside groups collecting user information. You may recall the Cambridge Analytica scandal from 2015, when a researcher scraped personal data from millions of Facebook users and then sold that data to a political consulting firm. The ensuing scandal was arguably the biggest in Facebook's history, and ultimately led to a $5 billion fine from the Federal Trade Commission. Facebook agreed to several privacy requirements as part of an FTC settlement, including heightened oversight over those who collect its data. The NYU researchers are not trying to pull a Cambridge Analytica-style heist—and were primarily collecting data on advertisers, not individual users. But there's a difficult balance in trying to pull back the curtain on how a data-driven platform like Facebook works, while simultaneously keeping everyone's data secure. —Kurt Wagner in San Francisco Some startups were able to completely pivot their business during the pandemic—perfectly fitting the needs of the moment. Here's what they're doing now that the end could be in sight. Instacart has hired yet another Facebook veteran as the company prepares to go public. Carolyn Everson, a former high-level marketer at Facebook, will join the startup as president. Booking says travelers are returning. The company saw 458% growth in room-night reservations last quarter. Microsoft Exchange was used to hack diplomats before this year's sprawling attack. | 
⋮↠〖*HDvideo~〗 2020 Spycies: Dos espÃas rebeldes PelÃcula Completa En LÃnea released 2020. story: Vladimir y Hector, dos agentes secretos d...
Post a Comment