By Dave B. It’s funny to me that people are freaking out now about Facebook’s use of personal data. There are people who rail against corporations all day, but who are now acting like Facebook betrayed their deepest trust, slept with their spouse, and burned down their home. Come on now. As adults, there are some things that we all know, but apparently need to bring to our conscious awareness once in a while. For example:
Privacy, as we traditionally conceive of it, is a thing of the past unless someone can isolate themselves from modern conveniences. And if you are reading this, it’s unlikely that you’re either rich enough, poor enough, or inclined enough to actually do so. But there is little need to freak out about this stuff. Nearly nobody cares what we like and do as individuals. They care about what people with our demographic characteristics like and do, in aggregate. So you can relax, a bit. Personally, what I really want is a world in which my data is sufficiently anonymized so as to be untraceable directly to me or my contacts, but still useful enough for targeted advertising (because it’s convenient and I understand that Facebook is a business). Barring that, I think I should get paid something for all use of my data. I can’t see social media companies paying me for my data anytime in the near future. And I know that there are limits to anonymization, especially when a company’s business model relies upon targeted advertising. Further, if someone is willing to throw enough resources into finding out who someone is, they can do so. Therefore, I accept the potential consequences inherent in the modern technology that I choose to use. There are risks associated with everything. If someone can’t accept that, they’re likely in for a lot of disappointments in life. What I DO think is worth getting angry about is Facebook’s constant lies, omissions, and lack of concern for their users. I’m not going to advocate for personal responsibility without also advocating for corporate responsibility. If I make a mistake, I need to own up to it, apologize if necessary, and do my best to make sure that that mistake (and other foreseeable mistakes) don’t happen again. Ideally, that’s what we would all do and that includes Facebook. And leaving some types of sensitive data vulnerable by default is just disgusting. Facebook is certainly guilty of cowardice and greed, but I’m not going to get angry at Facebook for being a social media company. We all know what social media companies are, what they do, and the risks of participating in any online interactions. To pretend otherwise is to attempt to deny ourselves our own agency.
4 Comments
9/18/2018 08:56:00 pm
Thank you for sharing your insight. I agree with you, that is why it is very important that before we click, we should think twice. I am so glad that there is a decrease in cyber violences nowadays compared to past years. I know some people are educated enough to know some of social media issues nowadays. Being part of the social media is not that bad but I therefore suggest that we should think for our sake and do our best to avoid cyber violences for others as well.
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11/26/2018 08:55:08 am
In this modern world where everything is upgraded, from postal mail to email, conversation to text conversation, shopping mall to online shopping and other internet uses. Everything people do now involves internet most specially in socializing with our friends, we have twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and others that when we sign up we put our own personal information, not knowing that they can use that information for different purposes. All we can do now id be vigilant and wise enough what to and not to click when using these applications.
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Dave B.
11/26/2018 09:26:57 pm
Thank you for the comment! Vigilance and wisdom are certainly both important nowadays.
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AuthorI have no clue what I'm doing, but I'll keep doing whatever it is to the best of my ability. Archives
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