In the News
In A Facebook patent would use your family photos to target ads, Adi Robertson at The Verge discusses a recently issued Facebook patent that will make it easier for Facebook to gain more data about your family and relationships by analyzing your photos and inputted information, increasing ad personalization. Robertson explains that Facebook is already able to learn a lot about its users are given the information that they add to their bios, but that it will soon be able to utilize cross-referencing to learn even more about your life and provide more personalized ads as a result.
Our Take
Privacy is the name of the game in today’s social climate, and this new patent seems to be a pretty clear violation of privacy. Social media platforms are designed to promote the sharing of life moments and personal information, but there is a clear difference between actively sharing information and having such information used in ways that you may not be aware. This brings up the issue regarding data misuse and what a company should and should not be able to do with its users’ data. Ad tracking is a very common method of using data inputted by users on a given platform, though it is highly controversial in nature. While it may be nice to see an ad pop up for a product that seems tailor-made for you, think about how the company or platform knew that you might like that product. If you are frequently recommended products that look very personal, you might be providing too much personal information on the accounts you use daily.
Recommendations
How can you protect your privacy on social media platforms?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Refrain from sharing your location frequently
- Choose your social media connections carefully, only friend, follow, and like people and organizations you know and trust
- Know your rights when it comes to data use and storage