[eggsby]

I really doubt there was any human review of the targeting settings, likely just automated verification.

If I'm writing a tool that allows users to enter their own n-grams is there an expectation that I also need to write a tool that detects if they are inputting pernicious n-grams?

[kazinator]

Exactly. What a non-story here.

Moreover, an argument can be made that it can be used for good. Someone could target Jew haters with some sort of educational messages.

"I want to address a message to Jew haters" isn't inherently good or bad; it doesn't mean I'm a Jew hater.

For that matter, someone who expresses an interest in a topic like "German Schutzstaffel" by searching for it isn't automatically a neo-nazi.

This article has some of the flavor of blaming a knife factory for stabbings.

I suspect any n-grams can be used; you can probably target people who are interested in a "pig shit ice cream" or anything completely random.