Facebook has apologised after 'exploiting' kids in Australia by monitoring their posts for ads

Facebook has monitored the posts of Australian children and used algorithms to identify and exploit them by allowing advertisers to target them during their most vulnerable moments. Internal documents outline how the social network can target “moments when young people need a confidence boost” by monitoring posts, pictures, and interactions, Sky News reported on Monday.

Facebook collects the information on a person’s moods including feeling “worthless”, “overwhelmed” and “nervous” and then it divulges the same to advertisers who use it to target them. Facebook’s tactic violates the Australian Code for Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children guidelines.

The revelation also points towards the how Facebook can be used for covert surveillance which most of the social networking sites claim to be fighting against. Facebook has admitted that it was wrong to target the children and apologised for the same. The company has also ordered an investigation.

This comes right after a study found that reading supportive comments, likes and private messages from Facebook friends just before taking an exam may help anxious students reduce their nervousness and improve test scores. Researchers at the University of Illinois in the US found that undergraduate students with high levels of test anxiety who sought support from their online friends and read the messages prior to a simulated exam reduced their anxiety levels by 21 percent.

With inputs from IANS