This will be a relatively short article, as I haven't been able to garner too much research on the subject. What I mean when I say this is Facebook's latest "Fuck-You," I'm referring of course to their policies that have no inclination towards protecting its users--oftentimes exploiting them. Some of it is harmless, using the information in research towards internet culture and what kind of people like what sort of things. Some, on the other hand, is a bit more malicious, like selling your information to companies from under you. Of course, most people don't take the time to read through the newest privacy statement whenever Facebook redrafts it, but I'm sure if you took the time there would be plenty of little clauses you wouldn't approve of. But what's your choice in the matter? If you say "I disagree" then you can't access your Facebook, right? I'm not entirely sure on this as I'm guilty myself of just clicking "I accept" after a frustrated two seconds of scrolling through the privacy statements.
Now, not having Facebook isn't exactly the end of the world, but we've become rather dependent on it for means of communication and staying up to date with the comings and goings of our friends, families and colleagues. And that's exactly what they want. They want us hooked so we don't ask questions when they sell our information. Here's the article that caught my attention.
Now, not having Facebook isn't exactly the end of the world, but we've become rather dependent on it for means of communication and staying up to date with the comings and goings of our friends, families and colleagues. And that's exactly what they want. They want us hooked so we don't ask questions when they sell our information. Here's the article that caught my attention.
Did you know that Facebook is disabling the accounts of activists?
Activists from every region of the world are utilizing Facebook in order to effect political change and exercise free speech, despite numerous obstacles. Nevertheless, numerous activists have reported their accounts or groups disabled, or specific content removed. In addition, Facebook’s privacy policy ranks far behind its peers in terms of both transparency and safety. As a private company, Facebook has no real obligation to its users, however, users may be unaware, or may have difficulty understanding Facebook’s labyrinthine policies. If you care about online activism, help raise awareness of Facebook’s treatment of activists, and push Facebook to change its policies.
Sounds fun right? This is what got my attention. This is more than just Facebook using the information we voluntarily put up there, this is about Facebook getting involved in politics, in cultural revolutions. People all over the world are now using Facebook and the internet in general to organize their protests and various means of activism--and Facebook is shutting them down. I don't know about you, but this just seems to breach all kinds of rights. This can't be legal, right? Then again, I wouldn't know, because I didn't ever bother reading that privacy and user agreement. You probably didn't either. For all I know, I clicked "Agree" and gave them permission to shut my account down if they detected something untoward going on. So who's monitoring all these accounts? Are whistle-blowers contacting Facebook about certain accounts? Or is Big Brother watching us more closely than we knew?
I myself am not one for conspiracy theories, but this is unsettling, I'll admit. My usual nonchalant attitude towards Facebook and it's good and bad actions in regard to its users has become slightly more concerned. I myself probably won't do anything about it, but maybe this will catch your attention and make you work towards fixing this problem. I can guarantee you wouldn't be alone.
