Facebook scandal is a wake-up call for online users
Not only Facebook, but other big tech companies also take data collection as the core of their business model. Therefore, users should control their personal data when using online applications.
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| Facebook's data scandal is a wake-up call for users about participating in quizzes on the platform. |
A quiz app harvested data from 50 million Facebook users' personal information, which was then used by Cambridge Analytica to help President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.
Although the data was collected from users without their consent or knowledge, Facebook said that users had set their privacy settings to allow this.
Even for a non-techie, it's obvious that Facebook holds a lot of users' personal information, even though they only allow the platform to register their location, or upload a photo.
Last weekend, Ars Technica highlighted a tweet from Dylan McKay, a New Zealand man who posted a photo of his call history with his mother-in-law that Facebook had collected. Facebook later said this was done with the user’s permission.
However, Ars Technica believes that this is an issue that needs to be considered. "We download applications and allow services to collect information about us without thinking. This is dangerous, people need to be more aware of the consequences of using such applications," Ars Technica emphasized.
The Facebook data scandal should serve as a wake-up call for people to understand what information is being shared online. A CNBC article titled “How to download a copy of everything Facebook knows about you” remains one of the site’s top-read stories.
Of course, Facebook and other major tech companies also make data collection central to their business models, so users should have control over what data apps have access to.
However, the onus is not just on users, but on big tech companies to improve their privacy. When users sign up for a service or download an app, the information collected and how it is used should be made clear, and it should be easy for users to change how their data is accessed.
Tech companies should also be more responsible and require consent from users before using their personal information.
Controlling your data has never been more important. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has talked about the potential of artificial intelligence. It's a terrifying technology that can read and use data in ways never before seen. With such a future in mind, controlling your data should be your top priority.
