Abstract
Targeting platforms like Google and Facebook are usually seen as presenting tradeoffs between utility and privacy. This Article identifies and describes a different, non-privacy cost of targeting platforms: they make it easier for malicious actors to scam others. They do this by making it easier for scammers to reach the most promising victims, hide from law-enforcement authorities and others, and develop better scams. Technology offers potential solutions, since the same data and targeting tools that enable scams could help detect and prevent them, though neither platforms nor law-enforcement officials have both the incentives and expertise needed to develop and deploy those solutions. Moreover, these scams may illustrate a broader class of problems from targeting that go beyond utility versus privacy, suggesting that more aggressive interventions may be needed.
Department
Law
Publication Date
11-1-2019
Journal Title
Houston Law Review
Publisher
University of Houston Law Center
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Roger Allan Ford, Data Scams, 57 Hous. L. Rev. 111 (2019).
Included in
Intellectual Property Law Commons, Internet Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Privacy Law Commons