We need to know how 'dark ads' affect Australians Read more: Facebook ads have enabled discrimination based on gender, race and age. Google allows ads in its search products, YouTube, and on Android.īoth companies have ad transparency dashboards. Meta allows advertising across its products including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The big dogs in the online advertising world are Meta and Google. Here's what we know so far about the state of online advertising in the federal election. Researchers like us try to get a handle on online advertising through projects like the Australian Ad Observatory. Unlike billboards or TV ads which can be widely seen, targeted ads may be invisible beyond their intended audience. The targeting can be aimed at protected social categories such as race and gender, and has been used to amplify mis- and disinformation. Online political advertising is more pervasive than its analogue predecessors, it can cost less (per individual ad), be deployed more rapidly, and can be micro-targeted towards specific audiences. We're halfway through the federal election campaign, and by now you've probably seen a significant amount of political advertising – much of it online.
