You might be amazed to hear this next piece of news but the reality is that social media giant Meta makes millions of dollars off of politically violent news events. A common example is the failed assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, a new report by The Markup explained.
Within no time, merchandise began popping up on Meta’s popular Facebook app linked to the event. They included powerful symbols of Trump such as his bloodied face, fist up in the air, or when he was stormed off stage by his Secret Service team. From coffee mugs to coins and ornaments to shirts, sellers had it all and people were buying.
Ads for these offerings made use of images rolled out by leading media outlets like the Associated Press or the New York Times. Moreover, Trump’s campaign also began offering some merchandise that celebrated his survival and zeal to fight even harder than before.
So the country’s Secret Service, FBI, police, and other agencies were getting scrutinized at one end. However, at the other end, online advertisers witnessed this as a business opportunity that pumped out ads on Facebook that supported those hungry for merchandise.
Even 10 weeks after the incident, advertisers were paying the tech giant a whopping $593K and going up to $813K for rolling out ads that were politically themed. They mentioned the assassination incident as per an analysis conducted by The Markup.
Meanwhile, Facebook itself acknowledged how it was polarizing material and different kinds of misinformation on the app which led to a lot of negativity. It incites real-life violence, it continued. Some other reports spoke about the reverse coming out to be true where real-world violence can give rise to the latest revenue streams for Meta.
What is interesting to note is that it’s not just politics or assassinations that have ads adding to Facebook’s parent firm’s $100B advertising revenue. The firm is building a bottom line when tragedies such as war and mass shootings take place in America and beyond.
After the attack on October 7th in Israel in 2023 and the effect it had on Gaza, Meta witnessed a surge in dollar payments. So yes, it’s murder, killings, and wars that also bring in big bucks, other than political events. As part of the Markup analysis, those ads that feature the term Israel spiked after the attack in October last year.
Image: DIW-AIgen
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Within no time, merchandise began popping up on Meta’s popular Facebook app linked to the event. They included powerful symbols of Trump such as his bloodied face, fist up in the air, or when he was stormed off stage by his Secret Service team. From coffee mugs to coins and ornaments to shirts, sellers had it all and people were buying.
Ads for these offerings made use of images rolled out by leading media outlets like the Associated Press or the New York Times. Moreover, Trump’s campaign also began offering some merchandise that celebrated his survival and zeal to fight even harder than before.
So the country’s Secret Service, FBI, police, and other agencies were getting scrutinized at one end. However, at the other end, online advertisers witnessed this as a business opportunity that pumped out ads on Facebook that supported those hungry for merchandise.
Even 10 weeks after the incident, advertisers were paying the tech giant a whopping $593K and going up to $813K for rolling out ads that were politically themed. They mentioned the assassination incident as per an analysis conducted by The Markup.
Meanwhile, Facebook itself acknowledged how it was polarizing material and different kinds of misinformation on the app which led to a lot of negativity. It incites real-life violence, it continued. Some other reports spoke about the reverse coming out to be true where real-world violence can give rise to the latest revenue streams for Meta.
What is interesting to note is that it’s not just politics or assassinations that have ads adding to Facebook’s parent firm’s $100B advertising revenue. The firm is building a bottom line when tragedies such as war and mass shootings take place in America and beyond.
After the attack on October 7th in Israel in 2023 and the effect it had on Gaza, Meta witnessed a surge in dollar payments. So yes, it’s murder, killings, and wars that also bring in big bucks, other than political events. As part of the Markup analysis, those ads that feature the term Israel spiked after the attack in October last year.
Read next: YouTube Confirms All Creators In The US Can Use Its Dream Track Audio Creator
