The ACLU is not pleased with Facebook’s “sentiment analysis tool” that provides data exclusive to Politico.
Citing three concerns, Christopher Calabrese of the ACLU’s Legislative Office, argues that Facebook should justify the use of users private communications for analysis.
Facebook revealed earlier this month that every post and comment by a U.S. user containing information about presidential candidates will now be fed through a sentiment analysis tool. According to the announcement, Facebook shares that information exclusively with Politico.
Calabrese notes that, “many users may not want to be part of any ‘sentiment analysis’ or poll, and might “feel hesitant” to share their opinion regarding any candidate. Also a concern to the ACLU, Facebook failed to reveal “any mention of user consent anywhere” in their announcement of the project.
Finally, the ACLU mentioned that Facebook may one day share this information with political campaigns, who would use it to target advertising, manipulate voter data, or shape political messaging.
“We place a premium on political speech in the United States and debating candidates’ positions and merits,” wrote Calabrese. “Because Facebook has become one of the central forums for political debate it has a duty to clearly disclose any practices that threaten to distort that discussion.”
