Facebook blocks Israeli ‘brainwashing’ firm The Spinner that claims to be able to ‘subconsciously influence’ people’s behaviour by bombarding them with fake posts
- ‘Spinner claims to be able to ‘subconsciously influence’ a person’s thinking
- Offers courses that a person can purchase to bombard them with fake content
- Facebook has banned the company from its site as well as Instagram
Facebook has blocked an Israeli start-up called The Spinner from its platform amid concerns over the company’s attempts to ‘brainwash’ users with fake posts.
The Spinner claims to be able to ‘subconsciously influence’ a person’s thinking by bombarding them with misleading posts disguised as unbiased editorial content.
The social media giant objected to the firm using Facebook and Instagram and has banned the company and its boss from the sites for any purpose.
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Spinner (pictured) claims to be able to ‘subconsciously influence’ a person’s thinking by bombarding them with misleading posts disguised as unbiased editorial content
Courses from Spinner include encouraging a boyfriend to propose, nudging parents to purchase a dog and quit smoking/drinking
The Spinner’s co-founder and chief operating officer Elliot Shefler revealed to the BBC this will not stop the company from its mission.
He also refused to rule out using Facebook in the future.
The Spinner is a site which offers customers the chance to buy a bunch of articles with he hope of brainwashing another person.
For example, a set of ten articles can be purchased for $79 and targeted at a person’s wife to persuade her to ‘initiate sex’, according to the Spinner’s website.
Other campaigns include a set of articles designed to encourage a boyfriend to propose, nudge parents to purchase a dog, and persuade someone to quit smoking or drinking.
Some of the campaigns on offer from The Spinner are more morally abhorrent, including targeting your own partner to persuade them to engage in a polyamorous relationship, with articles such as ‘How Polyamory Saved My Marriage’.
Some of the courses on offer from the Spinner are more morally abhorrent, including targeting your own partner to engage in a polyamorous relationship, with articles such as ‘How Polyamory Saved My Marriage’.
An article titled ‘Four Tips to Help You Settle Your Divorce Out of Court’ is listed as one example from the campaign designed to tempt your disgruntled spouse into not going through with the divorce.
Facebook’s law firm Perkins Coie sent a letter to Mr Shefler to complain about its practices, the BBC reports.
‘It appears that The Spinner uses fake accounts and fake Facebook Pages to “strategically bombard” Facebook users with advertisements,’ it reads.
‘These activities violate Facebook’s terms and advertising policies. Facebook demands that you stop this activity immediately.’
Facebook says the ads have now been removed, but Spinner claims it was posting on Facebook for more than a year.
