Last week, ProPublica and Buzzfeed News proved two of the world’s largest advertising platforms targeted anti-semitic and racist searches.
Buzzfeed conducted an experiment which revealed Google not only allowed advertisers to target ads directly to people typing prejudiced things, but also suggested similar terms after someone searched for offensive content through the site’s ad-buying tool.
In one instance, Buzzfeed News searched “white people ruin,” into Google and got back 14 suggestions, including “black people destroy everything.”
Until the stories broke, Facebook and Google had not been confronted about the effects of speech on the internet.
In essence, ProPublica and Buzzfeed shamed Google and Facebook into changing their algorithms because news outlets revealed they were collecting discriminatory searches to advertise. Private companies are not subject to the First Amendment; despite this, other laws ensure rights within the private sector. Companies also have rules in place to ensure ethical and legal standards.
Prior to the report, Facebook did not prohibit discrimination provoked by advertising. After ProPublica’s story came out, Facebook changed the algorithm and stated the company’s community standards “strictly prohibit” hate speech and discriminatory advertising.
The investigation was crucial to advertising websites understanding their global influence because such websites create so many world-wide connections.
So although Americans are free to express themselves over the internet, companies with worldwide power hold reigns on access to such searches and suggestions. Net neutrality is a term that stemmed from 2015 litigation prohibiting internet providers from giving better broadband access to website companies that can pay more.
In context, net neutrality ensures internet users freedom to decide which websites to use.
So what does net-neutral policy have to do with searching terms that are xenophobic?
As Americans, we have the right to access such content. Facebook and Google do not want to promote hate speech; however, the elimination of certain search categories makes the internet a little smaller than before.
Another factor of freedom on the internet is privacy.
The Obama administration classified broadband as a “common carrier service” in 2016, meaning providers must receive permission before collecting a user’s online activities and data.
In March, President Donald Trump signed a bill to overturn broadband privacy regulations. The Federal Communications Commission will once again allow internet companies, such as Comcast, to collect and sell individuals’ browsing information to advertising companies.
Shortly after that, the FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced a plan to loosen government oversight of high-speed internet providers. That could disband net neutrality, giving broadband-service companies greater power to control internet access and police themselves.
Pai sees government restrictions on telecommunications, cable and broadcasting companies as harmful to the economy due to the idea that the more government restricts something, less profit can be made.
What does this mean for Americans?
Because internet giants are responsible for the categorization of internet searches and advertising, such private companies have increasingly more autonomy over internet access and speed to content because many of those companies partner with broadband providers.
The internet is becoming increasingly tailored to make a profit. As a result, internet users are always under surveillance.
