A group of small advertisers suing the Menlo Park social media titan alleged in the filing that Facebook “induced” advertisers to buy video ads on its platform because advertisers believed Facebook users were watching video ads for longer than they actually were. That “unethical, unscrupulous” behavior by Facebook constituted fraud because it was “likely to deceive” advertisers, the filing alleged.
Facebook Follies: Consistency, Completeness, and Credibility
October 17, 2018
Years ago, we set up Beyond Search so that posts were distributed to Facebook. The Beyond Search goose assumes that Facebook tracks what it can from our office in rural Kentucky. But Facebook is clogging our Overflight system with factoids and “real” news about a proud company anchored in a Harvard dorm.
For example, I learned today that Facebook said that it would not collect data via its Portal video calling service. Recode, a podcast company, that Facebook will collect data from this service and use it to target ads. One day, no use of data; a few days later, use of data. A misunderstanding or an alternative definition of consistency? The Beyond Search goose is deeply skeptical about the information flowing from Facebook. But the humans on the team love Facebook and can easily see that yes and no are exactly the same.
We also noted a report in the estimable Wall Street Journal. Apparently some advertisers misunderstood the completeness of Facebook’s reports about the number of people who watched the social media giant’s video ads. Some advertisers doubt that Facebook revealed necessary information about the efficacy of the system. With errors, the accuracy and completeness of the Facebook data are questioned. Log files can be baffling, and their data can be misinterpreted. Skeptics might suggest that click data are suggestive, not definitive. When it comes to delivering data about online traffic, complete is complete. Unless it is not. “Facebook Lured Advertisers by Inflating Ad Watch Times Up to 900 Percent: Lawsuit” asserts:
Finally, Axios reported that Facebook is delivering traffic from mobile phones to its publishing “partners.” That makes sense because online access is on its way to being the only way some people will get information, communicate with fellow humans, and output tracking data. Good news. But the Axios report suggests that “Facebook traffic to publishers is down.” Some traffic up, some down. Due to the credibility which clings to Facebook data like lint to black socks on a winter’s morn, it seems as if Facebook is chugging along. Chug, chug goes the credibility engine.
Net net: Facebook manifests itself as an outfit which behaves in a consistent manner, outputs complete information when asked, and maintains a posture which evokes credibility.
The Beyond Search goose believes this.
Stephen E Arnold, October 17, 2018
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