John Oliver waded into the murky online waters of data brokers on the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, and when he emerged, he had a handful of blackmail material on politicians that was way too easy and legal to get.
Oliver kicked off the segment by highlighting the all too familiar feeling of going online and seeing targeted ads that are oddly specific. “They collect your personal information, and they resell or share it with others in a sprawling, unregulated ecosystem which can get very creepy, very fast,” the late night host said.
Unfortunately, lawmakers have done nothing to rein in the wild west world of data harvesting, so Oliver decided to show them how the practice can be quickly turned against Washington D.C. by anyone feeling adventurous. The late night host produced a manila envelope filled with blackmail material that his team acquired through a “f*cking creepy” use of targeted ads in the Capital Hill area, which provided tracking data that let them easily pinpoint politicians. Via HuffPost:
“If you’re thinking, ‘How on Earth is any of this legal?’ I totally agree with you. It shouldn’t be,” he said. “And if you happen to be a legislator who is feeling a little nervous right now about whether your information is in this envelope, and if you’re terrified about what I might do with it, you might want to channel that worry into making sure that I can’t do anything.”
To keep the creepy vibes going, Oliver ended the segment with a “friendly” message. “Anyway, sleep well!” he said while gleefully holding his folder full of God knows what.
(Via HuffPost)