Facebook to stop targeting ads at UK woman after legal fight

Reliance on Facebook Despite Harms

• Commenters praise the ruling and hope many such cases could undermine surveillance-based advertising.
• Frustration that community groups, small businesses, municipalities, and even consulates often use Facebook/Instagram as their only communication channel.
• Several argue that most small organizations could meet user needs with a simple static website rather than tying people to a tracking platform.

Data Collection vs Ad Targeting

• Many see the core problem as pervasive data collection and profiling (including “shadow profiles”), not just the act of serving targeted ads.
• Others argue an absolutist ban on data collection is impractical; prefer rules like minimum audience sizes for targeting.
• A linked court document suggests the legal claim was indeed about data practices, not just ad content.

Pregnancy Ads and Microphone Surveillance Debate

• The pregnancy-targeting example is seen as creepy and violating.
• One side suspects covert microphone eavesdropping; others strongly push back, citing lack of evidence, technical and legal hurdles, and easier explanations via metadata and behavioral patterns.
• Target-style “we know you’re pregnant” stories are debated: some see them as emblematic of powerful models, others as overblown anecdotes or statistical flukes.
• Some argue that even without microphones, current tracking (location, purchases, browsing) is equally or more invasive.

Algorithmic Feeds, Propaganda, and AI

• Concern that personalized feeds and “top comments” are themselves targeted, shaping perception beyond ads.
• Cambridge Analytica–style political microtargeting is raised as precedent; people worry AI will supercharge personalized propaganda and misinformation.

Regulation, Bans, and Business Models

• Strong support for an EU-wide ban or strict opt-in for targeted ads; many believe most people would refuse tracking if asked clearly.
• Some want broad restrictions on advertising in public spaces, especially digital billboards.
• Meta’s paid ad-free tier in the EU is noted; commenters say the service could still be profitable with non-personalized ads.
• Settlement strategy is discussed: companies often settle when continuing is costlier than conceding, regardless of admitting fault; some think this deal was a tactical move to neutralize a privacy activist’s legal standing.

Psychological and Social Effects of Social Media

• Multiple people report feeling markedly happier and less resentful after quitting Facebook or heavily restricting Reddit.
• Techniques include deleting/locking themselves out of accounts, using friction apps, or blocking feed pages via browser filters.
• Debate over whether ordinary life updates on Facebook are harmless sharing or evidence of a “clown circus” culture; some see social networks as inherently “soul cancer,” others as neutral tools misused at scale.

Ad Quality, Scams, and Offline Spam

• Complaints about Facebook hosting scammy ads that lead to phishing or fake stores that harvest credit card details.
• Offline: weekly supermarket leaflets dumped at every doorstep are cited as another form of unwanted, hard-to-escape advertising.

Personal Responsibility and Retrospective Doubts

• A closing sentiment questions whether it was wise to put “entire chapters” of one’s life onto a platform whose core business is ad brokerage, even if legal victories can later limit how those data are used.