The news on Facebook data theft is on all the front pages of today, with great indignation from everyone. Even if in the newspapers it is not clear what happened so sensational, wanting to briefly summarize what happened we can find that, in reality, it is nothing transcendental. The facts speak of a company hitherto unknown called Cambridge Analytica that has collected user data through Facebook survey applications as there are dozens of them, organized the data with the so-called profiling activity and sold them to Trump and others interested, although he should not have done so.
Those who bought these data then used them to target targeted advertising campaigns and convince those who did not think like Trump to vote for him.
The problem lies in the fact that Cambridge Analytica did not tell users who used its application how the collected data would be used, and it also collected data about their friends, certainly going beyond what was allowed.
This is an important story that shows all the dark side of social networks in general and Facebook in particular, although it is currently being told incorrectly and confusedly by many newspapers, even those that should be tech savvy. The reality is that there has been no data theft, because Facebook basically sells our profile data as it always has .
READ ALSO: Prevent Facebook from transferring data to external companies and applications
While you're not too surprised that people change their minds about who to vote for, the real question in this story is: how did Cambridge Analytica get so much data "> remove Facebook applications with too many permissions that violate privacy.
Facebook is a business, and that business is not the social network, but advertising. On Facebook everything is free because it is a channel for collecting data and distributing advertisements. Most users are absolutely happy to participate in surveys, fill out profiles, and publish interests, submit files and record searches. Like Facebook, even for other companies like Google it's all free because it records all those searches to create a profile of each person to whom to target certain advertisements. This is how the internet works, where most people don't want to pay anything, but are willing to give away some personal data and be cataloged and profiled in some database that can be sold to some marketing company. This is how the modern network works, it is not a mystery and although it may be something we don't like, there is nothing illegal. What happened is not against the laws, and I don't think there will be consequences for the Cambridge Analytica company, to which Facebook has requested the deletion of data, without however having any tool to enforce the request.
Certainly no one will be able to trust Facebook anymore, the little game that was widely known but that remained hidden has been discovered and made evident even to the most naive. Perhaps it is appropriate to give a higher value to the data that concern us, without giving it free of charge to some companies.
Eliminating the Facebook profile could be a drastic choice today, but limiting the information we publish would certainly be very wise.
If you want to continue using Facebook, you must definitely review the privacy settings, profile information, which apps are authorized, what has been given the Like and what we post.
In 2020, the tool was made available to control and delete activities outside Facebook and block data collection from sites and apps outside of Facebook.
You must no longer have any trust in Facebook or in any other company that wants personal data that would not be communicated to outsiders, we should stop accessing apps or services with the Facebook profile, you must absolutely stop taking quizzes like Nametest.
READ ALSO: See private profiles on Facebook (makeup)
UPDATE: Facebook has made available an online tool to check if our profile has been used by CAmbridge Analitica with its application "This is your Digital Life
Those who bought these data then used them to target targeted advertising campaigns and convince those who did not think like Trump to vote for him.
The problem lies in the fact that Cambridge Analytica did not tell users who used its application how the collected data would be used, and it also collected data about their friends, certainly going beyond what was allowed.
This is an important story that shows all the dark side of social networks in general and Facebook in particular, although it is currently being told incorrectly and confusedly by many newspapers, even those that should be tech savvy. The reality is that there has been no data theft, because Facebook basically sells our profile data as it always has .
READ ALSO: Prevent Facebook from transferring data to external companies and applications
Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, Trump and what happened
Cambridge Analytica is one of those web marketing companies that does specialized analysis to personalize client advertising. The analyzes are based on the data that all people provide on the internet, especially on Facebook. Cambridge Analytica then worked on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign for which he used data from 50 million Facebook users to target advertisements to potential voters who could be thought of as receptive to the campaign's message.While you're not too surprised that people change their minds about who to vote for, the real question in this story is: how did Cambridge Analytica get so much data "> remove Facebook applications with too many permissions that violate privacy.
Facebook is a business, and that business is not the social network, but advertising. On Facebook everything is free because it is a channel for collecting data and distributing advertisements. Most users are absolutely happy to participate in surveys, fill out profiles, and publish interests, submit files and record searches. Like Facebook, even for other companies like Google it's all free because it records all those searches to create a profile of each person to whom to target certain advertisements. This is how the internet works, where most people don't want to pay anything, but are willing to give away some personal data and be cataloged and profiled in some database that can be sold to some marketing company. This is how the modern network works, it is not a mystery and although it may be something we don't like, there is nothing illegal. What happened is not against the laws, and I don't think there will be consequences for the Cambridge Analytica company, to which Facebook has requested the deletion of data, without however having any tool to enforce the request.
What is not good
In all this story, however, Facebook comes out really bad, because even if its business model is more than known, the fact that my data was readily available for exploitation by external companies only because I am friends with someone who used an application is absolutely wrong and absolutely unjustifiable. The apparently innocent and private profiles, reflections, likes and shares have been extracted and assembled in a database that has been used for electoral purposes and this is even more terrifying than if they were used for advertising purposes. They therefore take people's fears and weaknesses by sending them personalized electoral messages, which also breach those who consider themselves independent and those who have a decent cultural level.Future Facebook
What happens now?Certainly no one will be able to trust Facebook anymore, the little game that was widely known but that remained hidden has been discovered and made evident even to the most naive. Perhaps it is appropriate to give a higher value to the data that concern us, without giving it free of charge to some companies.
Eliminating the Facebook profile could be a drastic choice today, but limiting the information we publish would certainly be very wise.
If you want to continue using Facebook, you must definitely review the privacy settings, profile information, which apps are authorized, what has been given the Like and what we post.
In 2020, the tool was made available to control and delete activities outside Facebook and block data collection from sites and apps outside of Facebook.
You must no longer have any trust in Facebook or in any other company that wants personal data that would not be communicated to outsiders, we should stop accessing apps or services with the Facebook profile, you must absolutely stop taking quizzes like Nametest.
READ ALSO: See private profiles on Facebook (makeup)
UPDATE: Facebook has made available an online tool to check if our profile has been used by CAmbridge Analitica with its application "This is your Digital Life
