Russian ads aren't really the problem, Facebook's opaque algorithms are

Much noise has rightly been made about the role Facebook played in the 2016 presidential election. Critics have pointed to a targeted ad campaign by Russian groups as proof that the Menlo Park-based company wasn't minding the store — and alleged that disaster followed as a result. 

But that argument overlooks one key point: In showing microtargeted "dark ads" to users, Facebook was doing exactly what it was designed to do. The larger problem is not these specific Russian ads (which Facebook refuses to disclose to the public) — or even that Donald Trump was elected president — but the very system upon which the company is built.  Read more...