Parents Worry Facebook Turns Their Kids Into Ads
LatestThe latest battle on the teens-and-Facebook front concerns advertising: parents are mad that just “liking” something essentially turns their kids into advertisements for it. They’re asking if this is even legal. Turns out, nobody knows.
According to AdAge, a Brooklyn dad is suing Facebook on behalf of his son, alleging that “Facebook, Inc. has regularly and repeatedly used the names and/or likenesses of plaintiff … for the commercial purpose of marketing, advertising, selling and soliciting the purchase of goods and services.” At issue are Facebook’s social ads, wherein users’ names and images are used to advertise things they’ve “liked” or RSVPed to. You’ve probably seen Facebook pages or websites displaying lists of your friends who have liked their content, and if you’re an adult user, you probably now know your name will pop up on a page if you like it. But kids — especially young kids — may not have the same awareness.