Well, “We’re Quitting Facebook” Day is fast approaching, and although there has been plenty of coverage for it, as of this writing, only 12,053 Facebook users have committed to this mass exodus.
The reason for this is two-fold:
• As the Web has become more social, people have gotten used to the idea that engaging in social media on the Internet is a bit of a game-changer when it comes to the way they used to live–and they are OK with that.
• Facebook provides a ton of value to people as a way to form real relationships and share interesting information with their friends and colleagues–and people have gotten used to it.
Wake-up Call
Look, anyone who thinks the Internet hasn’t been tracking their every online move since they logged onto it doesn’t know much about the space. If anything, this whole Facebook privacy issue (which really started when the company rolled out their Open Graph API idea on April 21) may be remembered best as the moment everybody woke up: The information you put on the Web is saved.
As providers of an Internet monitoring platform, we deal with this every now and then. I’ve heard the term “Big Brother” thrown around more than once, but the big difference is that our tool only collects publicly available information. It doesn’t spy on anyone or hack your email account and sell it to marketers.
The fact of the matter is this: the social Web is fundamentally changing the way people interact both online and off.
Managing Expectations
Some of the issues people have with Facebook stem more from the strategy (or lack thereof) the company has used to roll out changes (which were automatic) and how difficult it is to reset privacy settings back.
In our office alone, there are differing opinions. (I couldn’t write this post today in the office without hearing them!). Ken Miner says the company is “misaligned with its users over privacy and has breached the trust of many Facebook users.” He added: “When a company is aligned with clients and client expectations, it grows and prospers.”
Good point. And a business-related one, too. That’s an important perspective to have. YouTube celebrated its fifth anniversary this week and has yet to turn a profit. I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten tremendous value out of YouTube and Facebook and I don’t mind if those companies find a way to make money with the data I have provided them while using their tool.
Our Data Analytics Manager Aaron Weber wants to re-frame the argument: “With the culture that coming of age on the Internet, I wonder how long you can diminish a user’s ability to control their own data in order to monetize without giving up something in return. I would argue the outcry isn’t necessarily about privacy, but about Facebook deciding what we can and can’t do with our profile data and settings. Even a ‘free’ tool has to understand that its usefulness is limited to its ability to maintain a client base.”
Customized Web Experience
Maybe its the unmaksing of Facebook’s long-term intentions that has offended certain users so much. Having my online world custom-tuned to my likes, dislikes, and relationships is exciting. I’m more than happy to be the victim of targeted marketing. What a dream!
Whenever Pavement has a new compilation album coming out or have booked a reunion tour, I want to know about it. And if my recorded online data tells Facebook I’m a fan of Pavement, that also means I won’t endure any ads from, let’s say, Nickelback.
My outlook is a sunny one, but Paul Venezia put it way more bluntly in his InfoWorld.com blog The Deep End:
“Unfortunately, technological reality dictates that there’s no way to prevent this sort of data collection. If you use Facebook or any other Website, you’re contributing that information no matter what. The code on the site just needs to collect and store it, so all the bellyaching in the world isn’t going to change anything. Unless strict legislation curtails what information can be gathered and stored, and constant monitoring is instituted, Facebook and others can continue on their merry way.”
Yikes, is that the alternative? Strict legislation by the government? How far off is that?
Here are some resources to help you manage the new Facebook privacy settings and maximize your experience:
A guide to privacy on Facebook
Facebook privacy settings: how to control them
5 Essential Facebook Privacy Tips
Where do you fall on this debate? Is it as simple as choosing one or the other: privacy or relationships? I don’t think its as cut and dry as my headline makes it out to be, but in my dreams I imagine a world where my tastes are saved all over the Web and I never have to see or hear from Nickelback again. What a wonderful world.
