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> Google allowed RuTarget, a Russian company that helps brands and agencies buy digital ads, to access and store data about people browsing websites and apps in

> Google allowed RuTarget, a Russian company that helps brands and agencies buy digital ads, to access and store data about people browsing websites and apps in Ukraine and other parts of the world In other words, they collected data via websites and apps, just like any other JS or native ad library does. This wasn't data that Google collected, then handed over. It's a misleading headline IMO.

amelius 4y ago
Imagine a Russian agent starting an ad campaign targeted at Ukrainian people who are interested in weapon systems. But... the actual ads are about an innocent thing, like cat food. An Ukrainian clicks the cat food ad, is directed to the Russian agent's fake cat food shop, places an order and fills in their address. How is Google not leaking information here?
- freeflight 4y ago
  The whole "Google is not selling your data" excuse never held up to practical reality, it was always only a semantics argument along the lines of "They sell it, but not directly!". This whole case exemplifies that very much, but it only garners attention due to who did it, Russia, not due to why and how this is actually possible.
  - theptip 4y ago
    I think it’s materially different though. Particularly when you contrast with the FB graph API and the Cambridge Analytica scandal where they were actually giving out the raw data. There is a LOT more you can do with the raw data than with ads targeted on specific categories. Like, I personally am never going to click the cat ad in the example above, but I very well could have had all my info leaked by a neighbor in my friend graph in the CA dump. So your ad-harvested data will always be sparse.
- theptip 4y ago
  Is that even an AdWords category? Can we get more specific on exactly what level of targeting is possible? I see there is an attack here, but I’m still not exactly clear on the scope. I can’t see them getting very many conversions with a random cat food company. So did they dox 10 people? Or was this something that could actually get a meaningful amount of data?
burkaman 4y ago
The line you quoted is just a slight rephrasing of the headline with a little more detail. What are you finding misleading? Google allowed [a Sanctioned Russion Ad Company = RuTarget, a Russian company that helps brands and agencies buy digital ads], to [Harvest = access and store] [User Data = data about people browsing websites and apps]

amelius 4y ago

Imagine a Russian agent starting an ad campaign targeted at Ukrainian people who are interested in weapon systems. But... the actual ads are about an innocent thing, like cat food. An Ukrainian clicks the cat food ad, is directed to the Russian agent's fake cat food shop, places an order and fills in their address. How is Google not leaking information here?

freeflight 4y ago
The whole "Google is not selling your data" excuse never held up to practical reality, it was always only a semantics argument along the lines of "They sell it, but not directly!". This whole case exemplifies that very much, but it only garners attention due to who did it, Russia, not due to why and how this is actually possible.
- theptip 4y ago
  I think it’s materially different though. Particularly when you contrast with the FB graph API and the Cambridge Analytica scandal where they were actually giving out the raw data. There is a LOT more you can do with the raw data than with ads targeted on specific categories. Like, I personally am never going to click the cat ad in the example above, but I very well could have had all my info leaked by a neighbor in my friend graph in the CA dump. So your ad-harvested data will always be sparse.
theptip 4y ago
Is that even an AdWords category? Can we get more specific on exactly what level of targeting is possible? I see there is an attack here, but I’m still not exactly clear on the scope. I can’t see them getting very many conversions with a random cat food company. So did they dox 10 people? Or was this something that could actually get a meaningful amount of data?

burkaman 4y ago

The line you quoted is just a slight rephrasing of the headline with a little more detail. What are you finding misleading? Google allowed [a Sanctioned Russion Ad Company = RuTarget, a Russian company that helps brands and agencies buy digital ads], to [Harvest = access and store] [User Data = data about people browsing websites and apps]