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The effect of this is that people who visit substance abuse websites see ads for rehab centers. This seems generally positive, though there's a risk of other p
by cbr 11y ago
The effect of this is that people who visit substance abuse websites see ads for rehab centers. This seems generally positive, though there's a risk of other people seeing the computer and asking "why are you getting ads for rehab centers?"
Or is there something else that makes this bad that I'm missing?
- andybak 11y ago> This seems generally positive, though there's a risk of other people seeing the computer and asking "why are you getting ads for rehab centers?" "This seems generally positive apart from the risk of occasionally ruining someone's life."
- protomyth 11y agoYes. It is also a huge violation of privacy and will encourage people not to get help. The "Target flyer - My Daughter is Pregnant" scenario could happen to a person looking for help and make their situation worse or untenable.
- cbr 11y agoThe main thing is the level of plausible deniability. There are lots and lots of reasons why someone might see an ad for a rehab center on your screen. Perhaps a friend or relative has a drug problem and you're reading about it. Or the rehab center is advertising widely.
- protomyth 11y ago"why are you getting ads for rehab centers?" Your profile says you work for Google. Maybe Google has an "enlightened" policy towards substance abuse, but I wonder what your manager would do if s/he thought you were in need of rehab? In a lot of companies, getting rid of you would be the manager's reaction. Starting the death spiral for someone who is looking for help is horrible and to treat it like any other targeted advertising is insensitive at best. Given the down votes, I would guess people agree with you, but I really wish our profession would think about these things and the affects on normal people.