Facebook has been sharing user data with Stanford to study US inequality
The social network is working with economists to throw light on America’s widening income gap.
The news: Politico reports that Facebook is sharing data with Stanford economist Raj Chetty and his researchers. Facebook confirmed the partnership to Politico, while Chetty said he’s “using social networks, and measuring interactions there, to understand the role of social capital.”
The data: It’s an economist’s dream. Sixty-eight percent of American adults are on Facebook, sharing gobs of details—about education, employment, social ties, pastimes, and more. That can be used to determine socioeconomic class. (Sources tell Politico the information is anonymized and its users vetted.)
Now what? Neither Facebook nor Chetty told Politico what the end goal is. But Zuck’s been vocal about “real divergence between opportunity available in small towns and big cities,” and he supports universal basic income. He likely hopes new insights can shift the needle, so 1 percent of Americans no longer hold 40 percent of the nation’s wealth.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.