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Artist turns targeted ads into artwork after health diagnosis triggers funeral home advertising

Queensland conceptual artist Amanda Bennetts says algorithms exploited her most vulnerable moments

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources2 outlets
Conceptual artist Amanda Bennetts created the work 'Axis Mundi', now showing at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, as a response to what she describes as a relentless onslaught of targeted ads — including one for a funeral home — that began after she was diagnosed with a rare muscle disease.

Soon after being diagnosed with dermatomyositis four years ago, Bennetts, who already lived with multiple sclerosis, noticed a change in the ads appearing on her SoundCloud and Instagram feeds. "I started seeing these really bizarre ads ... One was for a funeral home; it was just an image of a white coffin. It was this constant assault whenever I wanted to see my friends' Instagram posts," she told the Brisbane Times and Sydney Morning Herald.

Bennetts, 40 and from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, said the experience was particularly confronting given the isolation and fear that came with a little-known condition. "I had never heard of the disease, and at times I couldn't walk and I was having to deal with my body changing, and instead of just asking my doctor questions or dealing with it in a mentally healthy way I was being assaulted with these ads," she said. "These algorithms and this AI was telling me relentlessly that I'm really unwell when I could have just been dealing with it in my own time with my doctor."

Her response is 'Axis Mundi', a sculptural work included in the New26 survey show at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. The piece is, in part, her attempt to take revenge on the invisible forces that monetised her most vulnerable moments.

Bennetts reflected that when she was first diagnosed with MS at 22, before the era of targeted ads, she was able to withdraw and deal with the diagnosis privately. Were she receiving the same diagnosis today and being subjected to such advertising, she said, "that'd be absolutely terrifying".

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The case highlights how targeted advertising can exploit users' health data, creating distress for people dealing with serious medical conditions.
  • It raises questions about the extent to which platforms infer sensitive conditions from user behaviour and whether current privacy settings are sufficient.
  • Individual stories like this could fuel broader public demand for greater transparency and regulation of algorithmically driven ad systems.

Background

Targeted advertising on social media relies on vast amounts of user data, including browsing history, search queries, and interactions. Health status is considered sensitive data in many jurisdictions, but platforms may infer health conditions from non-obvious signals, such as search terms, page visits, and engagement with support groups. This practice has come under increasing scrutiny from privacy advocates and regulators. In Australia, the Privacy Act review and the ACCC's digital platforms inquiry have examined the data practices of large tech companies.

Key Perspectives

Artist (Amanda Bennetts): She found the ads intrusive and psychologically damaging, especially given the rare and frightening nature of her diagnosis. Rather than allowing the system to make her feel unwell, she turned the experience into a critique of algorithmic targeting. Data privacy advocates: Would likely view this as evidence that current legal frameworks are inadequate to protect individuals from invasive inferences based on their health. Ad industry and platforms: They often argue that ad targeting provides relevant content to users and that users can manage preferences. However, the persistence of such ads despite a diagnosis suggests a lack of control mechanisms.

What to Watch

  • Upcoming findings from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's digital platforms inquiry.
  • Any changes to privacy laws that might restrict inference of sensitive information for advertising.
  • The public response to artworks like 'Axis Mundi' and whether they prompt wider discussion about algorithmic accountability.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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