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   Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 08-Aug-2025 08:52:50 JST Rich Felker

   Potentially uncomfortable but true: if you're doing A/B testing *of any kind* on users who did not explicitly consent to be part of such a test, you're performing unethical research on human subjects.

   (Repost dup up from an old :birdsite: thread of mine.)

   • Doughnut Lollipop 【記録係】:blobfoxgooglymlem: likes this.
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   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 08-Aug-2025 08:54:17 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     Now that you've heard this, stop doing it. If your employer is telling you to do it, tell them it's unethical research, that you didn't realize this in the past, but that you can't continue to do it in the future.

     Doughnut Lollipop 【記録係】:blobfoxgooglymlem: likes this.
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     Moto :rainbowinfinity: (cmdrmoto@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 09-Aug-2025 16:22:04 JST Moto :rainbowinfinity:

     in reply to

     @dalias Maybe even point out to your employer(’s legal department) that in America there are federal laws requiring Institutional Review Boards for psychological experimentation.

     https://www.apa.org/research-practice/conduct-research/irbs-psych-science

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     Jon [🇺🇦,🏳️‍🌈] (jon_giraffe@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 09-Aug-2025 19:00:02 JST Jon [🇺🇦,🏳️‍🌈]

     in reply to

     @dalias What really grinds my gears is that the A/B tests dont even measure the right thing.

     For example, youtube is unethically experimenting on me by playing previews for any video in view. No sound. When I click the video its probably telling them its increasing engagement, but I would have clicked anyways. But now I have to manually restart the video because it plays from where the preview left off. Worse experience, but some executive is probably giving himself a raise.

     Haelwenn /элвэн/ :triskell: likes this.
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     Firstyear (firstyear@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 09-Aug-2025 20:45:41 JST Firstyear

     in reply to

     @dalias When I explained A/B testing and what google does to users to a psychology researcher they were horrified.

     (I dont work at google, I hear about how they did the process via friends, and I am very against A/B testing without consent)