London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

‘Looks like profiling’: UK National Crime Agency caught targeting anti-gun Facebook ad to users interested in hip-hop & gaming

‘Looks like profiling’: UK National Crime Agency caught targeting anti-gun Facebook ad to users interested in hip-hop & gaming

The UK’s National Crime Agency was accused of profiling, after it targeted Facebook adverts warning about the possession of illegal guns to users interested in hip-hop music and video games.

In a social-media advertising campaign this month, the National Crime Agency warned Facebook users that it’s “illegal to possess most firearms without a license in the UK.”

“Don’t blow your one shot in life,” the ad declared.


The National Crime Agency came under scrutiny, however, after users discovered the ad was targeting young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who were interested in hip-hop music, Xbox, and first-person shooter games.


“Targeted at 18-25s with rock music, hip-hop and Call of Duty [interests]? Looks like profiling to me,” commented one user who noticed the advert’s specific targeting, while another quipped, “Welcome to the watch list, boys.”

“Why the hell am I getting adverts for this? Me and my little brother talk about Call of Duty a lit[tle] but that’s really sus,” questioned yet another targeted user.

Other Facebook ‘interests’ the National Crime Agency used to target the advert included rock and punk rock, and gaming computers. Facebook automatically attaches its users to such ‘interests’ based on their activity on the social network.

Facebook previously experienced a backlash for allowing advertisers to target ethnic groups based on “multicultural affinity.” The feature was famously used to show different trailers for the 2015 NWA biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton’ to different races, but was also reportedly used by companies to exclude housing adverts from certain populations.

The social network has since stopped advertisers from directly targeting those with “African American affinity” or “Hispanic affinity,” but it still possible to do so indirectly by focusing on other ‘interests’.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×