Woman slams social media firms for baby ads after stillbirth
Gillian Brockell, a journalist with The Washington Post, said that if those social media giants were clever enough to know she was pregnant they should also have figured out she'd lost the baby.
Social media firms have been slammed for targetted adverts on topics that people may find painful
She shared the bad news last month in a tweet.
"I know you knew I was pregnant," Brockell wrote to the companies in a letter posted Wednesday on The Washington Post and Twitter.
"It's my fault, I just couldn't resist those Instagram hashtags — #30weekspregnant, #babybump. And, silly me! I even clicked once or twice on the maternity wear ads Facebook served up."
ADVERTISEMENT
"But didn't you also see me googling 'braxton hicks vs. pre-term labor' and 'baby not moving'?", Brockell added.
"Did you not see my three days of social media silence, uncommon for a high-frequency user like me?
"And then the announcement post with keywords like 'heartbroken' and 'problem' and 'stillborn' and the 200 teardrop emoticons from my friends?
"Is that not something you could track?"
Facebook's vice-president of advertising Rob Goldman responded to Brockell apologetically, lamenting her "painful experience with our products."
ADVERTISEMENT
"We have a setting available that can block ads about some topics people may find painful — including parenting.
"It still needs improvement, but please know that we're working on it & welcome your feedback," Goldman wrote.
Brockell said she knew there was such a setting but that it was not easy to find at first, especially amid all her grieving.
"We never asked for the pregnancy or parenting ads to be turned on; these tech companies triggered that on their own, based on information we shared," Brockell wrote.
"So what I'm asking is that there be similar triggers to turn this stuff off on its own, based on information we shared."
ADVERTISEMENT
She said that after she blocked the baby ads, she got ads on how to adopt a child.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
Nigerian activist championing disability rights vies for UN committee seat
FCTA demolishes 27-year-old shanties, plans relocation for 1,000 occupants
Maths teacher pregnant for underage student while on trial for raping another one
Reps to investigate Binance executive's escape with smuggled passport
Cybersecurity Levy: TUC threatens to mobilise Nigerians for total shutdown
Peter Obi reacts to FG's planned imposition of cybersecurity levy on Nigerians
FG fires back at Binance CEO's claims of govt officials demanding bribe
New directive will make operators increase charges - PoS agents oppose CAC reg
US, France, Germany, and 11 countries Tinubu visited since becoming president
Pulse Sports
DAVID AND VICTORIA BECKHAM: How the global soccer superstar and the Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer make and spend their millions
Chelsea set to offer Romelu Lukaku and cash for Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen
Mikel Obi: Super Eagles legend goes viral speaking Hausa
Anthony Joshua: Nigerian-born boxer teams up with Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell and Cuppy in France
ADVERTISEMENT
