Your World This Week, Jan. 31 – Feb. 6

By All That's Interesting | Edited By Savannah Cox
Published February 1, 2016
Updated January 31, 2016

Facebook Slated To Earn Hundreds Of Millions From 2016 Presidential Election

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In what may very well be a $10 billion presidential election, Facebook will be making a pretty percentage of it. Image Source: Flickr

Last Wednesday, Facebook announced that presidential campaigns can upload their email lists and voter files — all of which, The Guardian added, contain “political habits, real names, home addresses and phone numbers” — to Facebook’s advertising network. From here, the company will match “real life voters with their Facebook accounts, which follow individuals as they move across congressional districts,” the Guardian added.

Once identified, campaigns and campaign donors can pay for Facebook ads that will target these followers. Indeed, the Guardian reported that Ted Cruz-affiliated donors are spending $10,000 a day for these services.

This comes on the tails of the November launch of Facebook’s “political influencers” program, where Facebook identifies users “who like lots of political content and share it with their friends” and allows “campaigns to target them specifically.” Again, Cruz was quick to dig into that, the newspaper added.

How much will Facebook make from this? Experts aren’t sure, but media analysts anticipate that political spending on digital ads will exceed $1 billion this year. Facebook, the analysts add, will likely be the leading recipient of that spending.

5 Events To Know About This Week

Columbia Crew

The STS-107 crew includes, from the left, Mission Specialist David Brown, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael Anderson, Pilot William McCool and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon. Image Source: NASA

  • February 1, 2003: Minutes before it was scheduled to land, the space shuttle Columbia breaks apart and kills all seven crew members.
    • Baseball Rules 1876

    Image Source: emaze

  • February 2, 1876: The National League–which, along with the American League, makes up Major League Baseball to this day–is founded. The American League is founded on the same day, 24 years later.
    • First Paper Money America

    Image Source: Celebrate Boston

  • February 3, 1690: The first paper in America is issued in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
    • Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving Painting

    “Freedom From Want” by Norman Rockwell. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

  • February 3, 1894: Painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell is born in New York City.
    • Superbowl

    The 2009 US Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Superbowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 2. Image Source: Wikipedia

  • February 7: The 50th Super Bowl takes place between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos
    • author
    All That's Interesting
    author
    All That's Interesting
    Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
    editor
    Savannah Cox
    editor
    Savannah Cox
    Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.
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