in_the_media

New political ads target voters via their online habits

Media Outlet: 

The Philadelphia Inquirer

An increasing number of political advertisers are using cookie programs created when users register at news sites and social media channels and combining this information with voter-registration data to target persuadable voters. "They're gaining growing acceptance," Temple Fox School of Business professor Steven N. Pyser said. "The ethics professor in me says, 'You're data-mining in ways people aren't accepting.' But a lot of people don't know an Internet cookie from a Dunkin' Donut. I think this is just the start."