I'm an ex-Facebook exec: don't believe what they tell you about ads

I believe the social media giant could target ads at depressed teens and countless other demographics. But so what?

• 'This oversteps a boundary': teenagers perturbed by Facebook surveillance

For two years I was charged with turning Facebook data into money, by any legal means. If you browse the internet or buy items in physical stores, and then see ads related to those purchases on Facebook, blame me. I helped create the first versions of that, way back in 2012.

The ethics of Facebook's micro-targeted advertising was thrust into the spotlight this week by a report out of Australia. The article, based on a leaked presentation, said that Facebook was able to identify teenagers at their most vulnerable, including when they feel "insecure", "worthless", "defeated" and "stressed".