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Facebook and Instagram to reveal more on how ads target users

The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information.

FACEBOOK PARENT META has said it will start publicly providing more details about how advertisers target people with political ads just months ahead of US mid-term elections.

The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information about how campaigns, special interest groups and politicians use the platform to target small pockets of people with polarising, divisive or misleading messages.

Meta, which also owns Instagram, said it will start releasing details in July about the demographics and interests of audiences who are targeted with ads that run on its two primary social networks.

The company will also share how much advertisers spent in an effort to target people in certain states.

“By making advertiser targeting criteria available for analysis and reporting on ads run about social issues, elections and politics, we hope to help people better understand the practices used to reach potential voters on our technologies,” Jeff King wrote in a statement on Meta’s website.

The details could shed more light on how politicians spread misleading or controversial political messages among certain groups of people. Advocacy groups and Democrats, for example, have argued for years that misleading political ads are overwhelming the Facebook feeds of Spanish-speaking populations.

The information will be showcased in the Facebook ad library, a public database that already shows how much companies, politicians or campaigns, spend on each ad they run across Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.

Currently, anyone can see how much is spent running an ad and a breakdown of the ages, gender and states or countries it is shown in.

The information will be available across 242 countries when a social issue, political or election ad is run, Meta said in a statement.

Meta collected 86 billion dollars in revenue during 2020, the last major US election year, thanks in part to its granular ad targeting system.

Facebook’s ad system is so customisable that advertisers could target a single user out of billions on the platform.

Meta said on Monday that it will provide researchers with new details that show the interest categories advertisers selected when they tried to target people on the platform.

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    Mute cryptodon
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:38 AM

    And what happens to the person responsible for the animal, nothing.

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    Mute Barry Somers
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:58 AM

    @cryptodon: you can beat a dog to death in front of a park full of children in Ireland and you won’t even get jail time, hell the judge won’t even ban you from owning any dogs in future!

    “One witness saw Liam Dowling (44) swing the Jack Russell dog overhead by its lead and smash it to the ground up to 30 times as he crossed a park area by Clonliffe College.”

    “He said he would not impose a ban on Dowling keeping animals, as he didn’t want to deprive the man’s child of having a dog.”

    https://www.thejournal.ie/dog-court-violent-killing-animal-2240201-Jul2015/

    Given the high dogh ownership in Ireland you’d think there would be at least strict setencing for beating a dog to death in such a monsterous way, so there’s zero chance the owner of this horse will be held responsible sadly.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:07 PM

    @Barry Somers: god that’s disgusting & of course look who the judge is , so not surprising!

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    Mute Lindsey O Connor
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    Nov 24th 2019, 1:31 PM

    @Barry Somers: judge martin nolan . Theres a shocker

    67
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    Mute sinead foley-coleman
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    Nov 24th 2019, 2:58 PM

    @Lindsey O Connor: although judicial discretion is enshrined in our constitution there are times when one has to question that discretion……whilst he may assidiously apply the letter of the law when it comes to discretionary matters you have to ask questions

    15
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    Mute Eamon McGowan
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    Nov 24th 2019, 6:43 PM

    @Barry Somers: Martin Nolan. Again.

    14
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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:08 PM

    I am a real animal lover. What happened Tue horse is terrible. The commenters here though are trying to vilify the owner. There’s a possibility this was just an accident. It’s a young enough horse. It may have slipped on newly disturbed mud and gotten caught. There was a lot of rain lately. Also, the fall might have spooked the animal and caused him to panic. Up to the incident he may have been galloping around a fifty acre field. Don’t vilify the owner on public social forums until you know the facts. Nothing in the article refers to cruelty. The owner might have been away…

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:45 PM

    @Shane McGrath: of course it could have been an accident but it’s simply not good enough to put a horse in a field at this time of the year without at least a rug and some supplementary feed and it should be checked on twice a day. Horse does look thin and neglected have to say even before the supposed accident.

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    Mute Johnny Rielly
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:57 PM

    @Shane McGrath: I hope you don’t own too many animals. The owner is responsible for its care even if he was away. Animals out on grass should be looked at twice a day especially this time of year. Gates should be secure so they dont fall down, and horses especially should have companions keep them calm and stop them doing stupid things like fooling around gates.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 2:58 PM

    @Shane McGrath: I agree entirely. There is no evidence in the article to suggest there was any form or cruelty or neglect involved.

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    Mute wondermiss
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:53 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: of course there is evidence of neglect where is the owner? Horse there for hours. No microchip. No responsibility. Maybe you should read the article again or go to the MLHR Facebook page so you can see the evidence of neglect there. And take your blinkers off.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:47 PM

    @wondermiss: Climb down off your pulpit! I’m commenting on the information in the article, which I read carefully, not on any other sources. There is in fact no mention of owners or microchipping so any reference to either is nothing other than conjecture.

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    Mute Seamus Murphy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:07 PM

    @Johnny Rielly: so let’s say the owner was checking on the horse twice a day, that gives the horse 12 hours to get into trouble, which is entirely possible. I had a young horse here a few years ago that did the exact same thing but luckily I heard the racket and got him out before any harm was done. You can’t always blame the owner.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:14 PM

    @Seamus Murphy: Precisely. They get themselves into the most awful trouble so quickly.

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:56 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: look at the horse for god sake, its so thin and dried mud all over it no head collar before it ever had the accident it was neglected

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    Mute wondermiss
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    Nov 24th 2019, 8:04 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: sure believe what you want if it makes you feel better

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 8:04 PM

    @Loretta stiletto: The majority of good horsepeople won’t leave headcollars on horses wintering away from their property as they’re a safety risk. The mud is clearly as a result of the incident, and even if it has been there longer a bit of mud is no harm. Mine practically swim in it for a hobby! No statement that this young horse is underweight and the fact that the horse is wet is deceptive. My point is people are making stuff up to suit their agenda. It’s incredibly sad and if this turns out to be a case of sheer neglect I’d be the first to condemn it, but knowing just how quickly horses can get themselves into trouble I prefer to react to the facts presented in the article and give the owner the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions.

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 8:12 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: oh stop, I wouldn’t like to be your horse. I’ve had horses all my life. Its neglect end of.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:45 PM

    @Loretta stiletto: Resorting to personal insults from behind an anonymous profile…stay classy!

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:58 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: is that the best you can come up with? Where was the personal insult directed at you. The horse was neglected as far as i am concerned whether you agree or not I really don’t care. The poor thing is dead.

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    Mute Daithi
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    Nov 25th 2019, 10:07 AM

    @Loretta stiletto: And you were there of course.

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    Mute Rob67
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:37 AM

    The poor horse, it must have been terrified.

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    Mute K W
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:44 AM

    This drives me fukkkin mad.

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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:46 AM

    someone must know who owns this poor animal – speak up and name them to the gardai or even the charity ‘my lovely horse’ ! then again it will probably only mean a small fine and a telling off — when it should lead to a ban on keeping ANY animals for life !

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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Nov 24th 2019, 1:14 PM

    @Eric Davies: I doubt there would even be a fine.

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    Mute marianne ryan
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:44 PM

    My lovely horse rescue are all volunteers. They are the ones pulling horses from canals in the dark, feeding horses in the snow drifts and going out to horrific cruelty day or night. Where are ispca, gardai and dept of agriculture officials, the ones actually paid to protect animals and their welfare?? We need to follow the Netherlands example and bring in dedicated animal welfare police and strict sentencing for cruelty. If you read the post about how the Netherlands now have zero stray dogs on my lovely horse Facebook its amazing. We can stamp out this cruelty, it starts with voting out all the politicians who see no cruelty. Please donate to my lovely horse, they get barely zero help from government but do all the work. Please help horses and lurchers, they are the most abused in Ireland. please feed any horses who need help

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Nov 24th 2019, 7:34 PM

    @marianne ryan: agree totally

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    Mute cníchi
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    Nov 24th 2019, 1:22 PM

    People have no idea of the lengths the volunteers, and I stress volunteers, go to to rescue animals. People need to realise that the humans involved see so much trauma and cruelty and as much as the charity need monetary support, they also need emotional and social support. All acts of kindness help to build up resilience..So please support the animals and also the amazing humans who help them

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 11:55 AM

    Shocking, all horses are supposed to be micro chipped owner should be charged and jailed. There are no excuses for the conditions this horse was kept in. Disgusting and disgraceful .

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    Mute Paul
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:08 PM

    Burns my eyes…..what cruelty

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    Mute Dnom
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:51 PM

    Its a sad indictment of this country that we pushed through a bill on Circus animals where no cruelty was apparent but do nothing about this or puppy farms and sulky road racing

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Nov 25th 2019, 2:10 AM

    @Dnom: there is ALWAYS cruelty involved when ‘training’ wild animals for circuses, it’s against their nature to perform for people so their spirit is broken. On top of that then is the confined spaces, inability to express their natural nature. It’s not a competition, all forms of animal abuse and neglect should be tackled.

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    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:22 PM

    The poor thing

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    Mute Mia Morrissey
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    Nov 24th 2019, 2:32 PM

    Oh thanks to the volunteers who went to help . Thanks for trying

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    Mute sandra grehan
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    Nov 24th 2019, 2:14 PM

    And who owns this wonderful animal?? Why was she not missed or checked on?? Have the owners been identified??? Are they going to be prosecuted?? This is disgraceful and pure ANIMAL NEGLECT & CRUELTY. Please punish these owners to the full extent of the law. A HUGE THANK YOU to the rescue group for finding and helping this wonderful animal

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    Mute Peter
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:02 PM

    Not really the actual image I was hoping to see

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    Mute Peter
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:03 PM

    ( in the main view of the topics )

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    Mute Anne
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:48 PM

    @Peter: that’s the reality

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    Mute Peter
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    Nov 24th 2019, 6:28 PM

    @Anne: That’s true

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    Mute Michael Mcloughlin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 12:31 PM

    Sickening to see ane sickening that nothing will be done about it .
    We have no laws in Ireland to protect man or animal you can do what you want it’s a lawless country and it’s the politicians and judges fault who wont enforce the legislation .
    The do gooders are always on hand to protect the offenders in this country and God forbid mention the !!!I wont say it or I’ll be accused of been racist . Do what you want in this country but dont get caught with 2 pints worst crime going .

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Nov 24th 2019, 2:08 PM

    @Michael Mcloughlin: I think the ‘do gooders’ in this case are the volunteers who spent hours of their own time in the cold trying to save this poor animal. How exactly are they being protected? The horse and greyhound industries receive €millions of taxpayers money each year but it’s rescues and volunteers who pick up the pieces when the animals are abused and neglected.
    We have animal welfare legislation but until it’s properly enforced this kind of tragedy will continue to happen.

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    Mute Michael Mcloughlin
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:07 PM

    @EillieEs: theres a difference in Ireland in people who do good and do gooders most of the people who will be knocking on doors shortly looking for votes are do gooders

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Nov 24th 2019, 6:24 PM

    @Michael Mcloughlin: I’ve been ridiculed and called a do-gooder because I think the most vulnerable should be supported and that includes humans and animals

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    Mute Anne
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:55 PM

    Remember! Put this on your agenda for the next Election. Nothing is being done for animals in country. So shameful.

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    Mute Loretta stiletto
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    Nov 24th 2019, 10:02 PM

    @Anne: oh there’s lots being done it’s one of the only industries that’s vat free for one

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Nov 25th 2019, 2:14 AM

    A lot of farmers are just lazy cruel, greedy sods that should never be allowed near an animal in my view.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Nov 25th 2019, 8:26 AM

    @TamuMassif2019: have you ever worked a farm? Lazy is not a word i would associate with farming in my limited experience.

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