ADSCAM: How Online Advertising Gave Birth to One of History's Greatest Frauds, and Became a Threat to Democracy

by Bob Hoffman

"Fascinating...this is an eye-opening book" - Kirkus Reviews. Everywhere we go on the web we are being followed. Everything we do on the web is being catalogued. This is called tracking. Tracking is just a pleasanter word for spying. By tracking us, marketers know who we talk to, what we say, where we go, and what we do. They know who our friends are, what our interests are, what our bank balances look like, what our sexual preferences are, what our political leanings are, and where we are at any moment. The consequences of all this surveillance have become shocking, disturbing, and dangerous. In Adscam, Bob Hoffman follows his #1 selling book BadMen to describe how online tracking has become a threat to individuals and to democratic societies, and has helped create one of the greatest frauds in history.

Genres: Business

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2022

Reviews

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a good dummies guide & jumping off point for learning about ad fraud. I have no doubt about some of the numbers in the book but tonally it was somewhat tin-hatty and Bobs way of describing some tech leaders as dim-wits (putting it politely) etc. detracted from points being made. Would recommend reading and then going on to do your own research.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob is incredibly prescient and smart, as usual!

[Samuel Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and concise compilation of every5ing that is wrong with modern advertising with a broad lenses, its lasting impact on our world.

[Ivars · Rating 4 out of 5]

$68 billion

That is a lot money, lost to fraud. Every year. Yet, no people ever go to jail for ad fraud. They should. Read this book to find out why.

[Andrew Breza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Hoffman offers a damning indictment of the excesses of the state of modern advertising.