Can We Blame Facebook When We Gave Them Our Info?

Over the last few days, we have been hearing a whole lot about Cambridge Analytica and the access to tens of millions of Facebook user data used as a vehicle to promote an agenda.

I know this is horrific, and should never have happened, but let’s keep it real when we sign up to most if not all these social channels, and add the apps to our devices, we are giving up our information and data to these companies. The terms of service (ToS) informs us they are taking our data and using it to make money.

So, with that, we need to take a step back and realize, the only goal of these companies has always been to use our data for profit - this should not earth-shattering news.

The amount of information these platforms have gathered on us over the years is astounding. The information we have willingly given it to them, our pictures, information, and locations without thinking twice. Once we have agreed to their rules, they began stockpiling our data to sell.

However, what is disturbing is how so much of our data from our devices was take. How easy it was for third-parties get us to join in on their quizzes and questionaries’ to get our data. The level in which they then utilized our information and their purpose for wanting it is beyond troubling and as a result, will cost them dearly.

But as many in the media have pointed out, we are not the customer in this situation; we never were. These platforms never intended to serve us, and don’t owe us their allegiance. We are simply part of the transaction that lines their pockets with gobs of money.

So while blaming Facebook and these other platforms is justifiable, and holding them accountable and assuring these bad practices ends with them should be our focus.

We also need to take a look at the value we put on our privacy. How much is it worth to us, and why we gave it up without thinking of the potential consequences of it getting into the wrong hands. 

We have given these companies power to our data, now it is time to take it back