Facebook, Google Deceit Exposed

Facebook, Google Deceit Exposed

Two months ago I published a piece entitled "Google, Facebook Hiding Behind Skirts of Small Business " In it I wrote...

"Facebook, Google and the rest of the adtech industrial giants — who have become fabulously wealthy through the buying and selling of personal, private information about us — now claim that they are doing this for the benefit of small business. This is bullshit.

"... As an ad person, I have to grudgingly admit that the adtech giants have a very clever strategy. They are using small business owners as their shills to influence MEPs (Members of the European Parliament.) It's a stroke of genius. Who doesn’t love small business?

"We must not allow some of the world’s most profitable, powerful businesses to obfuscate and confuse the issue by claiming that the dreadful harm they are doing is justifiable as some imaginary philanthropic initiative to support small businesses."

This week the EU will be voting on applying stricter regulations to online tracking and the collection of data by the adtech industry. In light of that, a study has just been released demonstrating just how deceitful Facebook, Google and friends have been in their multi-million dollar campaign to mislead legislators and regulators.

A study of 600 business owners in France and Germany by YouGov revealed the following:

  • 79% of respondents felt that large online platforms – such as Facebook and Google – should face increased regulation of how they use personal data to target users while advertising online.
  • 69% said that even though they were uncomfortable with Facebook and Google’s influence, they had no option but to advertise with them due to their dominance of the industry.

It's time for legislators and regulators to grow some balls and stand up to these dishonest, corrupt bullies and put an end to practices that are endangering our personal freedoms and undermining democratic processes and institutions. Let's hope this week is a start.

Bob Hoffman is the author of Advertising For Skeptics and The Ad Contrarian Newsletter.

?Bob Hoffman, 2022. All rights reserved.




Jebb Lewis

Engaging with digital disruptors and the digitally disrupted.

2 年

You mean stand up to the very platforms they themselves rely on to be re-elected and to sow distrust and deceit of others? It’s one of those all or nothing moments and I’m going to bet on nothing! Just more talk of disdain, disgust, and minimal fines.

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David Smaruj

Copywriter. Reader discretion is advised.

2 年

Yes and also yes.

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Luigi Bosco

Advertising, Marketing & Media | Content Production & Distribution | International Biz dev & integration

2 年

I'm afraid that the "79% of respondents felt that large online platforms ... should face increased regulation etc." is also the 79% that bought the "efficiency" and cheap way those platforms supposedly impact their target. And they paid for it. Not sure respondents know how what they buy works. They seems like respondents saying TV should have a higher cultural level but than they massively watch Big Brothers not history channel. Not sure respondents should be a benchmark, the rest is absolutely agreeable!

Jake Murray

Creative Director

2 年

The fact that Google removed 'Don't Be Evil' from its code of conduct is quite telling. As is Zuckerberg's haircut.

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