Updated 12th April 2018
And although Zuck stumbled in front of congress on the question of competition (techcrunch.com) they are certainly not alone using that business model taking advantage of the Internet of Things, algorithms and online consumption:
Amazon ‘sniffer’ patent could listen in on your Echo chats and target your ‘likes’ (techradar.com).
While Echo speakers currently wait for the trigger word “Alexa” [or “Echo”, “Amazon”, or “Computer” as set] before listening to and establishing what a user wants through follow-on voice commands, the patent describes the way the voice assistant could also listen out for words like “love” and “like”, and the sentences surrounding them, to establish a deeper insight into a user’s interests. Likewise, negative terms could be used to fine tune things the user didn’t care about.
Ouch! Indeed, some may not be keen on it listening in on any passionate “like” or “love” screamed out at home for “for purposes such as targeted advertising and product recommendations”—especially if it responds with a round of creepy, cackling laughter at whatever it is you are screaming you like (8th Mar. 2018). But Amazon explained although the patent was been filed it has no plans at present to implement its capabilities.
Updated 24th April 2018
And Facebook had filed its own patent to further personalise and label F’bookers personalities too:
Facebook explored unpicking personalities to target ads (bbc.co.uk).
A patent filed by the social network describes how personality characteristics, including emotional stability, could be determined from people’s messages and status updates.
The patent first filled in 2012 but although F’book swears it never used the personality test to help determine what sort goods it could flog you it updated the patient twice, most recently in 2016. Indeed, a bit like one of those “What Superhero are you” quizzes so popular on the platform but with it then giving you ads for anti-psychotic snake oil and red tights when it determines you are the Scarlet Witch.
Updated 26th April 2018
But regardless:
Facebook earnings beat despite backlash, shares surge (marketwatch.com).
The company appeared to shrug off those concerns with a huge earnings and revenue beat in the first quarter. In a Wednesday report, Facebook FB, +0.00% posted $4.99 billion in quarterly profits on sales of $11.97 billion, topping analysts’ average estimates of $4.01 billion for net income and $11.41 billion in revenue.
And just as Snapchat’s popularity seemed to grow despite backlash over awful update (updated, 2nd Mar. 2018):
Facebook added 70 million users in the first quarter, meeting user-growth expectations despite public calls to delete the social-media app. The company now boasts 1.45 billion daily users and 2.2 billion monthly members.
All keen to swear they know the raccoon that ate too much weed and got rushed to firehouse (whatstrending.com), and indeed many friend him and hear his amazing advice on investing in Bitcoin.
Updated 1st May 2018
[British] MPs threaten Mark Zuckerberg with summons over Facebook data (theguardian.com).
MPs have threatened to issue Mark Zuckerberg with a formal summons to appear in front of parliament when he next enters the UK, unless he voluntarily agrees to answer questions about the activities of his social network and the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
So he can sit and be told he’s been a naughty boy by his elders here too with, well… did anything actually get done after Zuck pouted lip for Congress?
So what if he fails to turn up?
In reality it is likely that, at worst, the punishment for ignoring such a summons would include an arcane process resulting in little more than a formal warning from the House of Commons.
Indeed, said lip will pout and he’ll promise to be good and do better but that although he is appearing in front of the European parliament this month… well, no time to vist, you know, got to get to bed early for school tomorrow ’n all.
Updated 16th May 2018
And reminding those that looked to Brexit to reaffirm their middle-aged or older sovereignty that in the real rather than Empire 2.0 world the size of the market is what really matters:
Mark Zuckerberg to appear before European parliament (theguardian.com).
The Facebook founder’s decision to meet MEPs will be seen as a snub to the UK parliament. … “The founder and CEO of Facebook has accepted our invitation and will be in Brussels as soon as possible, hopefully already next week,” [European parliament president Antonio Tajani] announced on Twitter on Wednesday.
Those opportune rebel with a cause but not much of a trade deal clue in the real world Brixteers being tired to the whole use and manipulate your data business and why MPs are are so keen to investigate:
Vote Leave and BeLeave used identical datasets to target Facebook users (theguardian.com).
The new letter was sent from Facebook to the Electoral Commission as part of its ongoing investigation into potential breaches of campaign finance rules and published by the parliamentary committee investigating fake news.
It reveals that Vote Leave and BeLeave appear to have used three identical datasets during the referendum campaign to locate potential recipients of targeted pro-Brexit Facebook adverts.
Seemingly Darren Grimes, who’s BeLeave used the identical data and got a £625,000 donation from Vote Leave, being what a load of opportune old chaps and their rich opportune donors thought would appeal to a younger audience most of whom felt it all smelt as bad as the kipper from their granddad’s era.
Updated 3rd May 2018
Cambridge Analytica closing after Facebook data harvesting scandal (theguardian.com).
“Despite Cambridge Analytica’s unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully, the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the Company’s customers and suppliers,” said the company in a statement.
“As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business, which left Cambridge Analytica with no realistic alternative to placing the company into administration.”
And so with no psychographic tool to save them have begun insolvency proceedings in the US and UK. But some suggest it may be more a case of going to ground:
Cambridge Analytica: Closure ‘will not stop investigation’ (bbc.co.uk).
By the Commons select committee in Britain.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said its investigation will still “pursue individuals and directors”.
And Damian Collins, chair of the Commons select committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) tweeted: “Cambridge Analytica and [parent company] SCL Group cannot be allowed to delete their data history by closing.”
6th May 2018
And perhaps appearing before Cambridge Analytica could disappear down the drain with same directors with the same contacts reappearing to open a new company with a new name:
Cambridge Analytica kept Facebook data models through US election (theguardian.com).
Leaked emails [obtained by The Guardian] reveal that when Cambridge Analytica told Facebook almost a year before the election that it had deleted data harvested from tens of millions of Facebook users, it stopped short of agreeing to also erase derivatives of the data.
Which raises questions about the accuracy of the testimony Zuck gave to the US Congress last month when he said he had “commanded” Cambridge Analytica to “delete any of the data that they had, and their chief data officer told us that they had”.
Really it raises the question if F’book really knows anything about what F’bookeres data gets up to until it becomes an issue, but F’book users in turn couldn’t care less until it has a hashtag with which they can join in.
Updated 14th May 2018
And further suggesting F’book hasn’t a clue what users data is being used for besides getting advertisers to pay them for targeting pimping of products:
Facebook has suspended 200 apps and investigated thousands of others in case they misused people’s data (uk.businessinsider.com).
The company hasn’t actually named which apps it has suspended, partly because it’s still confirming whether any of them did actually misuse people’s data.
Meaning they havn’t really got more of fucking clue of who was stuffing what and where than did the poor newborn hairless puppy that got immediately banned because it looked like a willy (thesun.co.uk).
Updated 16th May 2018
But to let us know all is all right now and that they are in control and have their eye on the ball:
Facebook closed 583m fake accounts in first three months of 2018 (theguardian.com).
Which really should show what an abject—and for some dangerous—F’books real-name policy is (wired.co.uk, Oct. 2015) with regards preventing “bad actors” joining to keep community safe and civil rather than just appeasing advertisers that their ads will indeed reach their intended demographic target.
Facebook took moderation action against almost 1.5bn accounts and posts which violated its community standards in the first three months of 2018, the company has revealed.
Moderation against not just fake accounts from a Russian troll factory in St. Petersburg telling how Orange Don is in it for ordinary American Joe (Latest Picks 29th Nov. 2017) but the inevitable deluge of dick pics, cartel beheadings, racist hate speech, and the get rich quick schemes and scams that makes social media a beacon for internet marketers (Latest Picks 23rd Apr. 2018).
And said tireless moderation admission aiming to buff F’book tarnished virtual chrome if not by automated algorithm mistaking hairless puppy for dick or robin redbrest for tit (Latest Picks 8th Nov. 2017) likely carried out by those young Filippinos for £1.81 ($2.44) an hour (dailymail.co.uk, May 2017).
Updated 22nd May 2018
And while nawty boy Zuck declined to stand outside Headmistress May’s office for detention and a kitten heel spanking when commanded by British MPs to appear he has turned up to pout lip to the European Union:
Zuckerberg grilled by EU over data mining and election meddling (Latest Picks 22nd May 2018).
The CEO of the world’s largest social network was supposed to charm European regulators. It didn’t work after he dodged some questions.
Updated 2nd June 2018
But pouting lip having worked for pacifying elderly American senators perhaps interested in the potential of F’books new dating feature (Latest Picks 3rd May 2018) getting them laid and the bureaucratic nature of the EU meaning its as much interested in using as much red tape to tie itself as well as everyone else in knots as possible, the real legislation is likely to come from shareholders and investors:
Mark Zuckerberg hammered by shareholders over scandals (cnet.com).
Facebook is being run like a “dictatorship.” Its disclosures have been “inadequate.” The scandals it’s faced are “not good for the company’s bottom line.”
That’s just a sampling of the statements investors made during a shareholder meeting Facebook held Thursday, marking the first time that co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken public questions from investors.
Oh dear.
Next page: Expectant mum’s data for sold from GP and midwife recommended site for discounts and coupons, Facebook suspends another analytics firm amid questions over surveillance, fined £500,000 by UK’s data protection watchdog, sued by Washington DC’s top prosecutor, US regulators approve a record $5bn fine and yet still sees user base and stock price jump.