Companies like Exxon Mobil use Facebook ads for Political Purposes

• By William Silgueiro
• (General Dispatch) – Media outlets have issued a report revealing that some companies such as Exxon Mobil and Comcast are using the social network Facebook to create advertisements for different political parties.

• One example is the creation of different messages coming from Exxon Mobil, where they create a certain type of information for those users who lean towards the conservator party and another type of content for the leftists.

• Markup has reported that the content emitted by the companies is biased towards any political ideology, trying to create media confusion and trying to benefit in some way.

• Those users who lean towards the leftist party receive content from Exxon Mobil, saying that they apply other types of technology and oil exploration to conserve the environment.

• Users who lean towards the conservative party receive information that the oil company should not abide by environmental restrictions as it would affect the nation’s energy development.

• “The oil and gas industry is THE engine that drives America’s economy. Help us make sure that unnecessary regulations don’t slow energy growth” reads one of the advertisements.

• However, there are other companies that run ads according to the political ideology of their users, these claims come from the NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy Project’s Ad Watch.

• Various media outlets have talked a lot about the seemingly increasing political polarization in the United States, with some commentators blaming Facebook’s algorithmic drive to encourage people to join groups that sometimes contain virulent and highly partisan content.

Adittional Information:

Breitbart: Facebook’s Targeted Ad System Helps Companies Send Drastically Different Political Messages

The Markup: How Facebook’s Ad System Lets Companies Talk Out of Both Sides of Their Mouths