Post by Rex M. Lee

Why Advertisers Need to Be Held Accountable for Tech Addiction, Child Online Exploitation, Harm, and Loss of Privacy! While many tech safety, child protection, and privacy advocates focus on addictive social media platforms and AI chatbots, advertisers largely escape scrutiny. Without targeted advertising, there would be little incentive to embed addictive design into AI-infused apps, social media platforms, and other digital services. Note: The profits generated by these technology companies are largely derived from monetizing the personal and business information users generate through their phones, computers, and connected products powered by Android, iOS, and Windows. Consumers are not compensated for producing the data that funds targeted advertising. As a result, consumers—including children —help finance the very systems that contribute to tech addiction, consumer exploitation, harm, and loss of privacy. From the Electronic Bill of Rights (EBOR) perspective, this underscores the importance of addressing the underlying business model—Surveillance Capitalism, funded by targeted advertising and enabled by Addictive AI-infused applications, social media platforms, and chatbots. Although important to protect children now, it does not make sense for children to be protected today, only to be exposed to harms caused by Surveillance Capitalism, tech addiction, and targeted advertising when they grow up. Addictive design is not exclusive to social media or new AI chatbots, addictive design is embedded in nearly all AI infused apps and platforms today. Addictive technology is far more dangerous and harmful than subliminal advertising which was banned in the 20th century, which is why addictive design needs to be banned, not regulated. Enclosed below are 2026 targeted ad spends by platform, and by advertisers only supporting TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, this is less than one third of total ad spend which is over one trillion dollars per year: 1) Google (Alphabet)~$265 billion 2) Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads)~$165 billionAmazon~$69 billion 3) TikTok (ByteDance)~$24 billion (2024) 4) Microsoft (LinkedIn, Bing, MSN, Xbox, etc.)~$20 billion 5) X (Twitter)~$2–3 billion Top Advertisers- Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (USDS- Oracle) 1) Amazon 2) Walmart 3) Nike 4) Procter & Gamble 5) Coca-Cola 6) Disney 7) McDonald's 8) Apple 9) Netflix 10) Samsung 11) Temu 12) Shein 13) Disney 14) HBO Max 15) DoorDash 16) Target 17) Bayer 18) PepsiCo Total Tech Lobby Spend- $5.6 Billion from 2023 to 2025 Profits made from targeted advertising is why after 15 years of congressional hearings, watered down new child protection and privacy laws, lawsuits, books, and documentaries have not stopped the global rise in tech addiction, harm, and loss of privacy. Learn more at Electronic Bill of Rights at, free info: https://lnkd.in/gdM7__tK Veronica Sommer Eric Feinberg Paul Walsh Sharon Winkler Lori Schott, M.S. David Lindner