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Comment by moremetadata | Hacker News Reader

Not when adverts are used to psychologically torture you. For example you might be a heterosexual with public views, espousing the virtues of heterosexuallity, without condemning or maligning non heterosexual people.

How would you feel if all the adverts you saw were for non heterosexual people, wuld you feel trolled, harassed, intimidated?

Now take those same algorithms that were used to target adverts at you for psychological purposes, and apply them to websites displaying news stories and social media like reddit, and search engine results.

Would that amplify the feelings of intimidation and harrassment?

Because that is exactly what is going on right now perpetrated by the US tech giants with the collusion of the of various states.

The mere mention of this activity, could also make you aware or more aware of this so that you can start to spot it being done to you and others around you.

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Even without tracking, virtually all advertising is a form of psychological warfare. Here's a common sort of ad: an image depicting young popular people having fun in the park, with cans of cola next to them. The message? If you drink our cola, you can have this lifestyle. This sort of advertising is designed to exploit insecurities people feel about themselves and their social life. This is psychological warfare for commercial gain, and it's standard operating practice for the advertising industry.

Its been that what for some time now. Ever since psychology took ground: Happiness Machines, https://youtu.be/DnPmg0R1M04

Yes and the infrastructure to target people individually exists, as noted with the political shenanigans that took place getting Trump into office and the UK to vote for Brexit. Just remember with Brexit, Scots were polled first to see if they wanted indepdence at a time when they thought it would not be possible to get the UK to leave the EU, so they didnt vote for independence. Brexit occurred, and now the Scots want independence in order to rejoing the EU.

The timing of questions asked are important, as any court room lawyer will know, especially if the defendants answer can be later associated and used against them.

The fact this situation is allowed to exist in the hands of unaccountable people and entities namely businesses, is arguably illegal if the laws were to exist against targeted advertising, but we all know big business would b.e against this.

TLDR targeted advertising is a way to psychologically hound people into suicide. Its a murder weapon exploiting the needs of business to be efficient with their advertising spend.

The criminal perpetrators rely on their victims keeping quiet because no one wants to be humiliated, in much the same way if your parents were wrong 'uns they rely on that parental bond to keep you quiet.

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