The dark side of digital advertising is exposed in The Click Trap. Tech giants such as Google and Facebook have effectively turned themselves into advertising companies, by tracking users around the web and sharing relevant ads. However, there is a dark side to this digital advertising model, as advertisers inadvertently find themselves funding misinformation or hate speech or scammers can use advertising to lure in their victims.
The Click Trap Synopsis
The Click Trap is a documentary directed by Peter Porta about the dark side that comes with digital advertising and the ability to track users. Through interviews with several experts, including Canadian journalist Craig Silverman, the film breaks down the number of ways digital advertising can be used for nefarious means. This includes ads unknowingly funding hateful sites such as Breitbart or data brokers using geofencing to target advertising to people at certain locations.
My Thoughts on The Click Trap
While it is not new information that the internet tracks people for advertising purposes, The Click Trap reveals some of the more nefarious methods digital advertising can be used. This includes sending pro-life advertising to those who visit planned parenthood clinics or fake news articles leading people to Bitcoin scams. While The Click Trap shouldn't scare you away from digital advertising (full disclosure: this site shows ads from Google Adsense and other affiliate partners), it should get you thinking about how the footprint you leave behind on the Internet could be exploited.
