EPIC's Sara Geoghegan calls profiling-based advertising predatory and says a person must answer for the harm
Sara GeogheganDirector of EPIC's Consumer Privacy Program and senior counsel, in an emailed statement
Sara Geoghegan, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Consumer Privacy Program, told Dispute Index that a business model that profiles users with their personal information for targeted advertising is inherently exploitative, that programmatic advertising using sensitive personal data is predatory, and that a human person must be responsible for the resulting harms.
“Programmatic advertising that processes users' sensitive personal data is predatory and a human person must be responsible for the very real harms that real people are suffering due to these predatory practices.”
Emailed statement
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This business model in which users' personal information is collected and used to profile them for targeted advertising purposes is inherently exploitative. Programmatic advertising that processes users' sensitive personal data is predatory and a human person must be responsible for the very real harms that real people are suffering due to these predatory practices.
Where this statement fits
Are DraftKings' AI-targeted promotions exploiting vulnerable gamblers?
EFF and Senator Richard Blumenthal say DraftKings' alleged use of AI-selected promotions exploits vulnerable gamblers. CEO Jason Robins denies targeting people with gambling problems and says the company uses warnings, limits and account restrictions to protect customers. A proposed class action adds a legal challenge to the dispute.
Source and context
Emailed statement
Emailed statement from Sara Geoghegan of EPIC to Dispute Index on targeted gambling promotions
This business model in which users' personal information is collected and used to profile them for targeted advertising purposes is inherently exploitative. Programmatic advertising that processes users' sensitive personal data is predatory and a human person must be responsible for the very real harms that real people are suffering due to these predatory practices.
About this source
Geoghegan sent this statement by email in reply to a Dispute Index request for comment to EPIC about allegations that DraftKings' AI-selected promotions exploit vulnerable gamblers. She identified herself as director of EPIC's Consumer Privacy Program and senior counsel. The link is to her EPIC staff page; the statement itself is not published there. The text is reproduced as sent.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Dispute Index asked EPIC for comment on allegations that DraftKings' AI-selected promotions exploit vulnerable gamblers. Geoghegan's statement opens, "This business model in which users' personal information is collected and used to profile them for targeted advertising purposes is inherently exploitative."
After the quotation
This is the closing sentence of the statement.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to DraftKings' promotion and targeting of at-risk gamblers, Geoghegan calls profiling-based targeted and programmatic advertising exploitative and predatory and says a person must be held responsible for the harm. She was responding to a request about DraftKings and speaks about the practice generally rather than naming the company, so we labeled it Condemned.
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“allegations raise serious concerns”Read statement
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- EPIC's Sara Geoghegan calls profiling-based advertising predatory and says a person must answer for the harm
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The Dispute Index. "EPIC's Sara Geoghegan calls profiling-based advertising predatory and says a person must answer for the harm". First published: 2026-10-05. Last updated: 2026-10-05. https://disputeindex.com/events/4634-sara-geoghegan-director-of-the-electronic-privacy-information