If you use Facebook on a regular basis to track news and interests and keep up with family and friends, chances are you’ve noticed something strange.
Many people have had the experience of seeing an advertisement for a product or service on their social media pages after talking about the product advertised. It’s most noticeable when it’s an ad for something you have never looked up online or don’t regularly use. But, enough people have noticed this and shared notes on this phenomenon to realize that Facebook and other online tech companies spy on users by remotely activating their microphones.
Now, it might shock you to hear that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder, and CEO of Facebook once commented that people were stupid for freely giving his organization their personal information. Today, there is a surge of outrage and concern globally over massive failures to protect user data and flagrant abuses of that data.
The social media company’s stocks have lost millions in the last few days as investors flee the brand.
Connecticut Democrat, Jim Hines has commented that users need to be wary of the threats to their privacy rights when they use social media. “If you take a personality quiz and answer 15 questions, he said. “You shouldn’t be surprised when someone uses your information.”
It’s hardly a novel argument and one that many people have willingly disregarded in order to enjoy the social media network.
The way it works is rather obvious, and if you’ve ever taken a personality quiz on Facebook then you’ve probably knowingly given a third party site permission to access the info you post on Facebook. Usually, it appears on your feed when a user you follow posts it to their own page. The personality tests are carefully crafted to appeal to user egos and interests. “What Star Wars Character Are You?” or “Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?” are some of the most popular quizzes.
But, before the site that runs the quiz can take your personal information, it needs your permission. Giving that permission is a way for Facebook to turn your information over to advertisers, and it’s completely legal.
This is among the least nefarious ways Facebook leverages your information. The company was also, allegedly, been guilty of leaking user information. This is a business practice that is exceedingly common, highly illegal, and nearly impossible to prosecute. Data leaking is when an organization you trust gives your information away to an undisclosed party and then, (if they are ever found out), claim the information was stolen.
Data leaking is the reason you get spam and telemarketing ads from companies that you have never expressed an interest in. The only organizations who could catch an entity like Facebook committing such crimes are hardly credible witnesses since they are guilty of the same and much more. Yes, we’re referring to the intelligence agencies and the FBI.
Facebook is attempting to deflect the flack they’re receiving by pointing to the third party quizzes. They claim this is the only way user data has been exploited- and it is totally legal since users voluntarily give them access to their accounts. If the social media giant has learned one thing during its online reign, it’s how to manipulate a narrative. So, if you’ve heard about this issue in the news lately, it’s probably the quizzes you’ve been warned about.
But, Zuckerberg’s company is in trouble for something much more serious than that. They have been caught granting Cambridge Analytica access to user information for the purpose of influencing election results — and not just any election — but the hotly contested 2016 presidential election.
Representative Hines said, “Whether Facebook knew it was foreign money that was purchasing those ads, that’s for a court of law.”
In the meantime, activists, politicians, and consumer advocates in major countries all over the world are petitioning their governments to set new regulations that will protect private citizens from having their personal information exploited by groups like Facebook.
This debate has reignited concerns that Mark Zuckerberg might be just a figurehead rather than an actual IT thought leader. One is reminded of the infamous interview where he had very little to say, and accidentally revealed a cryptic symbol hidden inside his ever-present hoodie sweater.
~ Conservative Zone
What Facebook needs is a nice massive class action lawsuit to the tune of about 1,000,000 dollars for each person with an account on Facebook for Facebook’s gross violation of the subscriber’s Fourth Amendment Rights. That would break Zuckerberg flatter than a flitter, but it would be a good lesson for him. His little apology carries no weight with me. It is crap. He needs to hurt over this very badly. It is the only way he will learn. He apparently learned nothing about ethics when he was at Harvard.
that’s the reason why facebook is blocked in china. no one use facebook much less even heard of it. those returned students to china are blocked as google was also not allowed service on internet. china is heavily censored on all internet communication making sure there’s no insurrection as happened in many european nations and middle east countries. i stopped posting facebook after being censored for posting exusurper black monkey spent eight years doing monkey business involved in murder, destroying US Constitution, giving faggies and lesbiens place in this society, should be in sodom, lying and drug pusher for the hezobel terrorist group.
FACEbooked it, SUCKERBERGed his MEMBERSHIP! OBAMA apology tour probable will NOT work for Zuckerberg!
This country is imploding destroying itself with all these side issues. I exhausted. Why don’t you all quietly investigate an issue then report the findings. Trump’s agenda has been stalled. People are stupid for putting personal information on Facebook. Let Buyer Beware. I couldn’t leave this comment without giving you all my email address.
Face Book, a legal entity, AND the people who run and control it’s operations or antics should be criminally prosecuted.The exact nature of charges to be determined by the Legal Eagles at state and federal Depts. of Justice, so called.
Anyone who has Facebook needs to delete their account or get what you deserve. suckerberg didn’t make money on a free facebook account. He has been selling your data from day one
I don’t read much on Facebook or post either, but while using my computer I have all sorts of ads come up that know what and where I was browsing. They know what clothes and books I’m looking at or buying. I also get swamped with spam from places I’ve never thought of, some of it gross. Where are they getting my information if I don’t put it on Facebook? I think whatever we write online is read by others who don’t have our permission to view it. Then they give it to companies, etc. to use for sending us ads and etc. This is against the law. Is there anything we can do to stop them?
Facebook is a Monopolistic Trade Practice and exists in violation of US anti Trust law. Good thing this is an open investigations (maybe that’s why it is an open investigation – to expose Facebook) The sooner Congress and America wake up to Facebook being a monopolistic trade practice and orders Face book broken up – the better it will be for America and the world.
Late 1970’s and ealry 80’s AT&T had to be broken up to protect consumers for monopolistic trade practices and so does Face Book.
Being an illegal monopoly is why Google moved to Ireland – they need to be broken up to.
Since this all started I have tried several times to delete my account and Facebook will not let me delete it. I find this very disturbing to say the least. This Mark Zuckerberg. Has everyone’s information, friends list and information and just like crooked Hillary, and Obama has used our information for his gain and to help the DAMN liberals and democrats. Everyone who has facebook ought to sue this man and Facebook for idenity them taking our personal data and information without our knowledge. This is unacceptable.
idenity theft.
One of the major things that is not being brought to the forefront on issues with Facebook is their harassment and violation of freedom of speech against conservatives.I just post regular conservative articles in various Trump groups and they punish me by suspending me for a week. Sometimes I post an article in the various Trump groups and it disappears right in front of me. The also block me for time to time. I am not the only conservative they are harassing, there are many, many people on Facebook who go through the same thing, and they accept this as the norm because they feel helpless. Someone needs to step in and do a separate investigation on Facebook and take this into consideration. It astounds me no one isn’t doing anything about this major problem. It is outrageous when Facebook has had mass shooters, terrorists etc. who had Facebook pages and when Facebook was confronted about this, Facebook said they can’t check every Facebook page because its impossible, yet someone like me, just posting conservative articles is being harassed and being watched by Facebook as if I ‘m a criminal. This is totally un-American and again, I just can’t comprehend America is allowing this abuse to continue.