Facebook

            In class, we often talked about Facebook and its trove of data on its millions of users. In the video we watched, the directors highlighted the sheer amount of data sources that Facebook pulls from and its compliance allowing third party corporations access to its social graphs. Is it ethical? Is it safe? Usually, the go-to complaint about this practice has to do with privacy concerns. However, I think that there’s an equally important debate to have, one that not many people even consider: Are businesses using personal information to statistically extrapolate trends? In other words, are people subtly “leading” society to think a certain way by appealing to their social presence on the internet? Is it better off restricting access to such revealing data?

            Coincidentally, Facebook did just that. Last year, Facebook announced restrictions on its roughly 1.5 billion users that were put into effect in May. This gives us a perfect opportunity to see a “what-if” version of a world with limited data.

As a result, dozens of startups that had been using Facebook data have shut down, been acquired or overhauled their businesses. Political consultants are racing to find new ways to tap voters’ social connections ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The new rules reflect Facebook’s and other social networks shifting attitude toward third parties using their data. The change in course was accredited to users who raised concerns about their data being shared with outsiders without their knowledge. Other companies that followed along the new “data-privacy” course include LinkedIn and Twitter. 

            This screams bad news to apps such as College Connect that attempt to bring people together who share similar interests. Apps that promote dates and job recruitment can no longer use Facebook to find matches. Presidential election tools that use information on a user’s friends can no longer promote voter participation. The question that people should start asking now is whether or not the privacy they fight for is worth the lack of connectivity and seamlessness that they are used to now.  A lot of apps that use their data try to provide services that later try to benefit their users. In the end, Facebook’s actions exposed how dependent new age technology is on its data and just exactly how influential its reach is.
            Restricting data access may protect a user’s privacy, but the new problem arises as companies find new ways to replace Facebook’s valuable social network. Some companies are trying to build their own social networks from scratch by using data-mining techniques known as predictive analytics to help apps find new users by analyzing email and phone-contact lists of existing users. Some industry watchers worry that such data-mining techniques might result in users having less control over their personal information than with Facebook. In fact, it may turn out that the stricter policies on Facebook might result in an even more deterministic world.