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New Facebook Video Controls Let You Limit Viewing By Gender and Age

Mark Wilson writes: Videos on Facebook are big business. As well as drugged up post-dentist footage, there is also huge advertising potential. Now Facebook has announced a new set of options for video publishers — including the ability to limit who is able to see videos based on their age and gender. A social network might not be the first place you would think of to try to keep something private, but a new 'secret video' option makes it possible to restrict access to those people who have a direct link. Other new options include the ability to prevent embedding on other sites, but it is the audience restriction settings that are particularly interesting. For a long time Facebook has been about reaching out to as many people as possible in one hit — particularly in the case of pages, which are likely to be used for the promotion of businesses and services. But now the social giant provides tools to limit one's audience. It's fairly easy to understand the reasons for implementing age restrictions on video (although there is obviously scope for abuse), but the reasons for gender-based restrictions are less clear.

90 comments

  1. Drama is coming. by ZorinLynx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I predict that men will whine that they can't see videos set so that only women can see them.

    I predict the women who posted the above videos will whine if men post videos set so only men can see them, saying it's sexist, while not realizing the hypocrisy.

    I predict SJWs will whine that this somehow doesn't include transgendered people.

    I predict that I will sit back with a big tub of popcorn and enjoy the hilarious drama.

    1. Re:Drama is coming. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have an astoundingly low standard for what constitutes entertainment.

    2. Re:Drama is coming. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Have you seen the world lately? This is as good as passive entertainment gets.

    3. Re:Drama is coming. by mysidia · · Score: 2

      I predict that men will whine that they can't see videos set so that only women can see them.

      Owing to this new change to Facebook.... I have decided to change the Gender in my profile from "Male" to "Both" or from "Male" to "It's complicated"

      Next, in case they block me from seeing any videos based on that anyways..... I intend to file a lawsuit against Facebook for discrimination against LGBT people.

    4. Re:Drama is coming. by bigfinger76 · · Score: 1

      No. No it's not.

    5. Re:Drama is coming. by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      And Parents will whine when their children post videos set so that nobody over 18 can view them.

    6. Re:Drama is coming. by Linkreincarnate · · Score: 2, Funny

      May you live in interesting times.

    7. Re:Drama is coming. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thankfully someone has the right attitude. Let them sort it out, and enjoy the show.

    8. Re:Drama is coming. by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Well, you take what you get when times are desperate. It's not like you get anything better from TV.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    9. Re:Drama is coming. by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      And then again when they find out how their kids found out how to circumvent the restrictions of videos nobody under 18 should be able to view.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    10. Re:Drama is coming. by RedK · · Score: 1

      No no no, you got it wrong. Now I can post videos of my Bros, doing Bro-y things so that other Bros can like it, and "high five" comment it, without any women being forced at gun point to watch and then make a Facebook rant about how Bros will be Bros and how they should all be jailed 5 miles underground for it.

      Because "if you don't like it, don't watch it" is literally impossible you know.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
    11. Re:Drama is coming. by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      If we don't laugh at the world... we will cry.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    12. Re:Drama is coming. by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      You misspelt TV.

      You really haven't watched the popular unreality crap such as the Having no life with the Kartrashians*, Nude and Drama*, etc. on TV have you ...

      * Names intentionally changed to better reflect what they are about ...

      --
      Only Cowards Censor

    13. Re:Drama is coming. by segin · · Score: 1

      They'll blame the bronies; after all, who's old enough to acquire porn and would be willing to trade it for access to a children's cartoon?

  2. Might backfire by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

    I'm probably not going to be interested in any videos that target my 90 year old Two-Spirit facebook avatar, but it will make for some fun stares when I check facebook while waiting for the kids to exhaust themselves in the local jump-o-rama

  3. Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by Pfhorrest · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The talk of gender-related limits made me think of teenage boys and girls in their isolated cliques wanting to share things only with other teenage boys or girls, and in light of that a possible use of age-related limits struck me: if you can set an age ceiling as well, this could be used by kids to hide things from adults, not just by adults to hide age-inappropriate things from kids.

    --
    -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
    "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
    1. Re:Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

      It's something like a form of censorship. The internet supports that, right?

    2. Re:Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Like when I send an email to just one email address, and every other email address on the planet doesn't receive it? It's censorship on a global scale!

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    3. Re:Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by flopsquad · · Score: 1

      I'm going to restrict my channel of "How to Get Kids Off Your Lawn" tutorial videos to retirement age and up.

      Course, my series "Three Seconds of Your Favorite Rap Song, Ten Hours of 20KHz Sine Wave" will be 18 and under.

      --
      Nothing posted to /. has ever been legal advice, including this.
    4. Re:Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by dave1791 · · Score: 1

      I suspect that the floor is for official marketing and the ceiling is the real marketing.

      Since teenagers don't use Facebook anymore, because all of us old farts are there, this might be a way of trying to get the teenies back.

    5. Re:Age floor only, or ceiling and floor? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or pedos could use it to make videos only kids can see.

  4. Easy peasy... by rmdingler · · Score: 1

    I predict online personalities will be willing to prevaricate around gender and age restricting bylaws.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  5. oh please! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the reasons for gender-based restrictions are less clear?

    It's to give a safe place for sexists.. *No girls allowed*

    1. Re:oh please! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      or a safe space for sexists.. *No boys allowed*

    2. Re:oh please! by segin · · Score: 1

      Because if I were a marketing agent at Tampax, I'd like to do my fellow men a favor and set those directly-sharable-to-your-timeline-and-eligible-for-autoplay videos I'll be uploading to the brand's official page to "women only" because not too many guys care to be shown advertisements for a product that they're not (generally) anatomically equipped to use, much less have a valid need of, because they have one or more of "that friend", or worse, "that family member", that shares the weirdest damned shit, including advertisements for women's sanitary products.

      This becomes increasingly important when I'm paying per-impression to have these videos pop up on random people's newsfeeds in the ad slot. I don't want to pay for someone who'll almost certainly never care about my product (guys: do you really sit there and make decisions on which sanitary products your female partner uses? Do you sit there and think about what bit of cotton will sop up the most blood? No, she just tells you what to buy and you squeamishly get in and out of the store ASAP with the damned things, and hope you don't run into anyone you know during it all.) to see an ad that they have absolutely zero use for.

      (I know I'm gonna get flamed for this, but it just came to mind as possibly the number one important use-case for gender controls.)

  6. Are you sure this isn't just ad targeting? by Sowelu · · Score: 2

    They talk about videos being big business right there. If you're going to pay them $$$ for "promoting" your posts, then controlling who you promote them to is...kind of obvious, isn't it?

    I mean, promoting on FB isn't the same as a full advertising suite. It's almost more like blackmail. If you have enough followers, then they stop showing your posts to all of them unless you give Facebook money. As a halfway step between promoting and full targeted advertising, this makes total sense.

    1. Re:Are you sure this isn't just ad targeting? by RobbieCrash · · Score: 1

      This.

      If I'm promoting Axe Body Spray For Uber Bros why do I want a bunch of wasted ad impressions on women?

      --
      Keep on knockin'
      https://robbiecrash.me
  7. Once again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Once again I'm glad i closed my F-book account.

    One the other hand should I decide to re-open it, it should be helpful in letting me know who to unfriend; and block.

  8. What a great idea.. by Simulant · · Score: 2

    Share your secrets on facebook. What could possibly go wrong?

    1. Re:What a great idea.. by turp182 · · Score: 2

      Ashley Madison... (not really an issue yet other than for the site, but it is the nuclear option regarding privacy and the internet, it's DEFCON-1, WOPR says you shouldn't have played...).

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
  9. It's so we talk about this new feature by paul_metcalfe · · Score: 1

    Free publicity!

    --
    Always read at -1, don't let others decide what you should and should not read.
  10. Re:cunt and penis accountants by ClaraBow · · Score: 1

    It's:
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get cow-moo
    Hope this helps!

  11. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by paul_metcalfe · · Score: 2

    Showing off is not what yoga is about... I think the ones making videos do it exactly for this purpose.

    --
    Always read at -1, don't let others decide what you should and should not read.
  12. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Doesn't work: Lesbians.

  13. bad debian/ubuntu advice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sudo apt-get install filters

    $ echo This is the better way to solve this problem. | chef
    Thees is zee better vey tu sulfe-a thees prublem.
    Bork Bork Bork!

    $ echo "What? No cow filter?" | eleet
    wh4t? n0 c0w f1lt3r?

    $ echo "This is very unacceptable" | fudd
    Dis is vewy unacceptabwe

    $ echo "Well this was the most useless post I've made in a long time" | jethro
    Well this wuz duh most useless post I done made in ah long time

  14. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some women like to share videos of their physical hobbies (yoga, dance, etc.) without a bunch of guys jerking off to them.

    [citation needed]

  15. Is it sort of like MySpace? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    What is this "Facebook"? Is that the thing where people post pictures of what they're having for dinner?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Is it sort of like MySpace? by Sowelu · · Score: 1

      The way people I know use it, it's just a useful tool for organizing events.

    2. Re:Is it sort of like MySpace? by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      You're probably thinking of Instragram. Facebook is the thing where people send out short-length messages to the rest of the world.

    3. Re: Is it sort of like MySpace? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your thinking of twitter, Facebook is where people put up pictures of their kids so grandparents can view them

    4. Re:Is it sort of like MySpace? by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Is that the thing where people post pictures of what they're having for dinner?

      Yeah but only after it came out again through the back door.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    5. Re:Is it sort of like MySpace? by dave1791 · · Score: 1

      I thought Instagram is the duckface selfie social network. Facebook is where your old high school acquaintance posts his daily deranged political rants and slowly kills your faith in humanity and democracy, a little every day.

    6. Re:Is it sort of like MySpace? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought that one was slashdot? Three weeks later than everyone else of course!

  16. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who aren't guys, so, still works.

  17. Gender Based Restrictions Aren't Clear?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Let me make it clear by saying that _my_ physical biology _doesn't_ include that particular function depicted in the video so I don't _really_ need to follow its advice.
    2. Religious/cultural restrictions in different parts of the world? For example, one book of the Old Testament, 'Song of Solomon', was only supposed to be read by male Jews over 30 (which is the time they would be starting a family).

    1. Re:Gender Based Restrictions Aren't Clear?!? by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      Could you be more stupid and ignorant?

  18. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Facebook is a space created for men, by men. Their website and app have no support at all for female accessibility features. Things like breast gesture swipe recognition are left out on purpose and there's nowhere I can go to talk about my period without men ogling my tampon photos. A public company like Facebook must be required to create safe spaces where male predators aren't allowed!

  19. It's the Money, Stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Every time a man sees an ad written with women in mind, or vice versa, somebody somewhere has spent some tiny fraction of a cent sub-optimally.

    1. Re:It's the Money, Stupid by epyT-R · · Score: 1

      All advertising is targeted at the female ego nowadays. Even commercials selling to men frame the message in terms of what women will think (those horrible fiber one ads come to mind). Very few if any products are sold 'to' men directly.

      You'll almost NEVER see ads like this on TV, given current political narratives in the media
      https://www.youtube.com/v/5ZqX...

    2. Re: It's the Money, Stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bull shit. Even vacuum cleaners will include info about how they're made from the same stuff as space ships or some such, and that pretty obviously isn't an attempt to attract the stereotypical woman.

    3. Re:It's the Money, Stupid by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      selling to men frame the message in terms of what women will think

      That isn't new. Advertisers discovered pretty early on men want sex, and that if you can convince men the product will in even the most obscure weakly connected way possibly lead to sex they will buy it.

      That is like the oldest and most basic rule in all of marketing.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    4. Re:It's the Money, Stupid by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      That's a poor commercial, but not for the reasons your thinking ...

      * Man makes a big purchase, doesn't communicate to his partner until after the fact; nor get her input on whether they can actually afford it
      * Women throws a temper tantrum and disrespects his things by breaking them.

      It is a crappy add because both genders were immature and stupid.

      The focus should be about the *joys* of the car -- not about the disharmony it "creates."

  20. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by epyT-R · · Score: 1

    Some men like to share videos of their hobbies without a bunch of women shaming them back to the plantation. Before they'd have to create a separate profile or kick their female friends of their FB account. This gives them another option.

    Of course, the real solution is for both to grow a spine and quit worrying about and/or micromanaging what the other sex is thinking/doing.

  21. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lol, I see what you did there.

  22. Finally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Men will have the tools they need to make a boys club and share vital videos with up and coming CEOs on how to implement glass ceilings and other critical anti-women practices.

    If only we had the ability to not allow more than one person named Homer to watch a video this would be perfect.

  23. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's scary is there are people out there who would agree 100% with this, and not in a satirical way. I don't think SJW's realize that by trying to make everything a "safe space" for women, they're saying women are weak. All of the "safe space" stuff is hurting equality more than helping,.

  24. Ha! by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    Wait 'till they get a hold of the 23andMe data from yesterday.

  25. Laugh by koan · · Score: 1

    Why not by race too?

    Neo-Liberalism destroys nations.

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
    1. Re:Laugh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the US we call them neoconservatives and yes, they destroy nations. Always have, always will. Yet somehow they get elected despite never winning 50+ % of the vote. Of course, we have proprietary electronic voting machines now so that explains it.

    2. Re:Laugh by jmcvetta · · Score: 1

      Neo-Liberalism destroys nations.

      In America they call themselves "Centrists".

  26. Facebook is a business... age discrimmination? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hmmm, I wonder if Facebook can be prosecuted under Federal age discrimmination laws now?

  27. How does this work with transgender options? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    >> limit who is able to see videos based on their age and gender

    How the hell is this supposed to work with transgender options that pretty much let anybody identify as anybody?

    Is Facebook getting another filter ready to screen in and out by skin tone and eye color too?

  28. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No this will be about videos so filled with scathing hate they are not intended for men by their feminist authors.

  29. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Especially considering that someone felt the need to both change the friends icon and report on that change: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/reason-subtle-facebook-icon-change/story?id=32297650

  30. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by penguinoid · · Score: 1

    Next, can we have a filter that only allows the video to be viewed by people who haven't used the phrase "Social Justice Warrior"? It would be hilarious...

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  31. Lol what? by cfalcon · · Score: 1

    This is pretty silly. The gender restrictions will probably have to go, because it will be hyper lulzy if they don't.

  32. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by FoxMcElroy · · Score: 1

    What's scary is that you don't realize the Facebook move is about marketing demographics and instead need to fight a social battle for equal treatment of women (SJW), without any irony.

  33. What about the MPAA/RIAA by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 2

    Facebook video is already filled with copyright infringement from YouTube channels, where rebranded content is being posted. The rebranding of content, plus the limited lifespan of most videos plus the inability to find it publicly, are causing pain in the "YouTube Star" group.

    How is the MPAA/RIAA/Whomever going to deal with Facebook facilitating massive copyright infringement? I mean, it's one thing to share a fairly powerless guy's content with 20 million followers, get caught and just have to remove it. But when I want to see a movie my friend has, so he just posts it so only I can see it...?

    Given how Facebook is trying to make most people's whole internet experience solely based on their servers,t his is the one time I'm hoping the MPAA can make a ton of trouble for someone.

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
    1. Re:What about the MPAA/RIAA by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      An entity as important as the MPAA can certainly arrange to see some "private" videos. Of course only to ensure they can protect their rights.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:What about the MPAA/RIAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Facebook didn't have any issue with copyright infringement violation notification and rejection when a client of mine attempted to post a video that used a song that required licensing. She was unaware of those laws, so I explained them to her. They do have some controls in place--they may not be perfect, but they are clearly working on video processing piece/

  34. Re: SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is rather they added a filter to not see anything by people who say SJW as they're invariably bigoted morons.

  35. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's scary is that you think SJWs fight a social battle for equal treatment of women. Never mind your ignorance as to what an SJW is; just advocating treating women like dainty flowers who will wither and die under the slightest hardship and calling it 'equality'...brr.

  36. Not for users? by j1976 · · Score: 4, Funny

    When I read the title, I though this was a function for users rather than publishers. As in "From now on I only want to see videos of girls in the age span 19-24".

  37. But fear not by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    The pervs at your favorite three letter agency still get to see what they want, profiled by whatever they see fit.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  38. Re: SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    I'd rather have a script that filters everything a SJW posts and copies it to ... a certain board we all know with well meaning, very eloquent users who would never DREAM of invading a FB account of someone with a misguided agenda and flood it with insightful (or is that spelled inciteful?), helpful information on how to clean up the gene pool.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  39. Exactly what we need. by Linkreincarnate · · Score: 1

    More ways to alienate ourselves from each other. More protection for our views. Another place to ignore people on the internet and wonder why we feel so lonely. Mankind is already proficient at dividing ourselves. I predict this technology will only speed the separation even more. If people retreat into their own little conclaves they only get more radical and more insular. The longer we go on shielding ourselves from views we disagree with or running from the criticisms of our own deeply held beliefs, the more likely were are to revert to tribal tendencies and war. Thanks Facebook.

    1. Re:Exactly what we need. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More to the point, it isn't like we needed some algorithm to do it for us.

      Lest you think I'm exaggerating, we can talk about what Catholics think about those filthy, heathen atheists all day long.

      I once met a Baptist minister who more or less believed that atheists are criminals, even going so far as to say he "did atheist things when he was young". When, I'm sure, there was a lot of internet to regulate his access to atheist writings, right?

  40. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except all the press I've seen on it has expressly stated something to the effect that it was all about women being equal or some bullshit like that.

    -LaurenC

  41. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why should I? The perception they give me is they are not fighting a social battle for equal treatment of women but a battle for Suprior rights for women.

  42. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by omnichad · · Score: 1

    Separate, but equal. Jane Crow and all that.

  43. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow sexconker, you got first and second post. Impressive. Cow.

  44. FINALLY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's nothing I hate more than seeing some fifty-odd old biddy showing off her saggies. From now on, only real females, 18 to 29, and any milfs will be the young hot kind instead!

    Wait.
    What do you mean It's all the other way around?

  45. Re:SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    I'm just hoping to deny access to people who think that a warrior for justice must automatically be a bad thing.

    It's one thing to disagree over what real Justice is, but rejecting even their own definition of it is a dangerous sign.

  46. Re: SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    Right, because a person who considers justice as a pejorative, and an applied pejorative as proof of a misguided agenda, really has some insight?

    I'm not sure you have to go that far to do some quality work on gene pool cleansing.

  47. Re: SJW Bullshit Like This Is For Cows by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

    Using "SJW" as a pejorative doesn't mean one is against social justice. "SJW" is supposed to refer to someone who follows feelings more than facts, who believes everything a woman/PoC says about being harassed (as long as it fits their agenda, otherwise they have "internalized misogyny/racism"); they're also pretty much just keyboard warriors who don't fact-check. They're the sort who look at the many injustices in the world and then want to push them too far in the other direction; they idealize and fetishize the oppressed. It's perfectly reasonable to be against this sort of outlook while still advocating for actual social justice.

    That being said, there are plenty of people who get mislabeled as SJWs. Social justice is a great thing, and we should strive for it (because we clearly haven't gotten there yet). I think using "SJW" to refer to those sort of people was a mistake, but that's where things are right now.

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.
  48. Re:It Seems Pretty Clear to Me by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

    I mean, you could already create a list of your female friends and make certain posts only visible to them, so those weren't the only options. This new thing will make it easier, but they had the option before that.

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.