[link] Google denies racial profiling via Gmail. Here are some disturbing questions it still needs to answer
This is pretty darn fascinating.
The experiment unearthed compelling evidence that Google’s email service would give radically different advertising to different people, based on them having an ethnic name. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve repeated the experiment in the UK, to see if the results came out the same.
The results were stark, and similar to the original experiment – for example, an email sent by “Robert Howe” saying “Need Cash” gets foreign exchange solutions for business advertised to him; the same email sent by “Segun Akinkube” gets offered Payday Loans. Neither of the ads repeated in each other’s preferences; Segun & Robert got completely different ads served to them, when all other factors were the same. Why? That’s a question for Google to answer.
[Read more: blogs.telegraph]
Related:
- UK Writer Repeats Gmail “Racial Profiling” Claim Against Google (marketingland.com)
- Google’s “racial profiling” issue hints at invasive ad targeting (stateofsearch.com)
I love the story about the engaged women turning down the diet ads so they sent her ads for maternity bridalwear. And when I say “love,” I mean completely sickened. What was their thought process in creating these algorithms? “Dur…if she wants to be fat for her wedding, it must be a shotgun.”
Exactly. That a whole lot of stereotyping!
Have you tried this for male and female names?
And what did you find?
No, I have all ads blocked on gmail (and everywhere). I can’t bear them.
I will run the experiment when I have time – I also do not usually see adverts.
Oh, do let me know what you find. I would be very interested. (Hope you’re well, btw.)
Will do. Thanks for asking – miserable due to never sleeping well because of strange arthritis. And you?
You poor thing.
I’m OK. Our students are back, and term starts next week, but I am doing OK. And I know that I have very little to complain about in the scheme of things.
That’s good. What’s most weird when having broken sleep is that dreams become more real. Also my some of my medication causes vivid dreams so I wake up not sure which is reality. Now I know what watching the average amount of TV must feel like
Wow – startling – I’ll have a go