Facebook exec grilled on creepy ads
Kara Swisher from AllThingsD managed to pull Facebook executive Owen Van Natta aside for a quick interview. In the video, Van Natta spouts the company line, defending Facebook's behavioral targeting as something less than creepy. Mostly, Swisher lets Van Natta get away with it.
She whiffs particularly on the possible illegality of Facebook's new product. Some legal experts say Facebook breaks the law when it uses member photos and names to endorse products without their permission.
Swisher only bothers to note, "People are saying it's creepy." But Swisher's miss might not matter. Van Natta was clearly prepped to dodge the question. Listen to how he does not describe Facebook's new ads as "endorsements" but "trusted referrals" attached by advertisers to "social actions."