Alcohol and gambling advertising on Facebook is targeting people who are at risk of harm, according to research by The University of Queensland.
The university piloted a digital data capture method that enables people to collect the ads that are targeted at them on Facebook via a mobile app and to share the data that platforms create about them.
Facebook tagged the ten people who provided their data for this research with 89 different alcohol and gambling related advertising interests.
Alcohol and gambling companies shared data with Facebook to further enable this targeting, with a total of 201 alcohol and 63 gambling companies giving the social media platform data on the 10 people in the study.
One person was tagged with as many as 25 alcohol related advertising interests and had 123 alcohol companies share data about them, while another was tagged with as many as 41 gambling related advertising interests and had 52 gambling companies shared data about them.
Another, who has been trying over the past 10 years to reduce her alcohol use, had 95 alcohol companies shared data about her.
For another individual who was experiencing gambling harm and has been trying to reduce his gambling over the past year, almost two thirds of the ads captured from his Facebook were for gambling and he often saw 15 or more gambling ads in a row.
One participant named Oliver said he’s frustrated that he sees so many alcohol ads when he’s using Facebook, and there’s no way to stop it.
“It’s everywhere, and it’s not just billboards, it follows me into my home through my phone. When I’m just trying to look at things – like I’m on Facebook Marketplace a lot – it even follows me there," he said.
“The fact I’m being force fed alcohol ads everywhere is really frustrating, and there’s no opt out."
Chief investigator on the report, Giselle Newton, said this report is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is known about how alcohol and gambling companies collect and use people’s data to then target them with their harmful and addictive products.
“People who are trying to reduce their alcohol use or gambling don’t want to be targeted with ads selling these products, and can find it difficult to escape this advertising when they are on social media platforms like Facebook," she said.
Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO Martin Thomas said this report provides further evidence of the predatory marketing practices of gambling companies, and how platforms like Facebook enable them.
“Australians expect the Federal Government to do more to ensure people who are most at risk of harm aren’t constantly bombarded with ads for harmful and addictive products," he said.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education CEO, Caterina Giorgi, said the report further highlights the need for reform.
“People should not be profiled and targeted for advertising based upon their vulnerabilities," she said.
"It’s concerning to see alcohol, gambling and social media companies deliberately prey on people who are most susceptible to harm. We are calling on the Federal Government to implement protections that put the health and wellbeing of families and communities ahead of the interests of alcohol and gambling companies.”
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