Facebook selling out? Corporations to access users big time

by mtammas | February 1, 2009 at 02:47 pm

14702 views | 53 Recommendations | 16 comments

With the advent of the very popular social networking sites, privacy is often an abandoned concern, especially for many young and tech-savvy subscribers. But now Facebook is going to test the boundaries of privacy with plans to allow corporations to use its extensive customer base for market research.

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, demonstrated the poll possibilities at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

Facebook intends to capitalise on the wealth of information it has about its users by offering its 150 million-strong customer base to corporations as a market research tool. The appearance, later this year, of corporate polls targeted at certain parts of the Facebook audience because of the information they have posted on their pages, is likely to infuriate privacy campaigners.

Last week Mark Zuckerberg, the company's 24-year-old founder and chief executive, showed the audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos how the social networking site could be used to poll specific groups of users.

This isn't the first time that Facebook has expande its reach. The site's advertising technology already enables advertisers to target customers, narrowing focus by location, age, gender and what individuals have revealed about themselves.

Last year, Facebook unvieled its Engagement Ads, a polling feature for advertisers.

Polling should begin with a vengance this spring.

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158

at 15:02 on February 1st, 2009

Good report.

If money can be made they will make it.

Capitalism at work.

azzayindia

at 20:47 on February 1st, 2009

they will sell their mother's privacy too for money

Mary Richard

at 22:15 on February 1st, 2009

Speaking of privacy issues, has anyone noticed that you can access other people's albums now, that aren't on your friend list, if their pic was tagged on your homepage?

Also, if you message someone, even if they aren't on your list, they have access to your page for 30 days.

My friend just removed her young teenager from there because of these issues - it certainly isn't safe for kids be be there anymore, if it ever was.

James212 (not verified)

at 09:31 on February 6th, 2009

Those issues were actually present in the old Facebook layout as well, and it's a HUGE issue I personally have with facebook. In fact, I've had to set my tagged photos so that only I can see them, to prevent any outsiders being able to view them.. with the amount of personal information available, I think everyone should do this. I have no idea if some of my friends add random strangers to their account (ie. just accept any requests) as I obviously don't know who all their friends are - so I've had to do this to stop all these strangers having access to my personal stuff, which they have by being a "friend" of one of my friends..

Kris222 (not verified)

at 11:17 on February 6th, 2009

You just have to be aware of how to use Facebook privacy settings.

When I make my albums, I make it so not "everyone on Facebook can see it" - instead I make it so only my friends can see it. You can also choose an option of where friends of friends can see your pictures too.

As for the messaging someone even if they're on your list, and they have access to your page for 30 days - you can adjust the settings of your profile to decide what is available to this specific group of people.

It's all about knowing the tools you are using and being informed.

ex-facebookie (not verified)

at 22:38 on February 1st, 2009

I deleted my account about 1 month ago!

Anka (not verified)

at 12:34 on February 6th, 2009

I believe you can not delete your profile, just deactivate. Try going back, all your info is there, the keep it. For cases like this- so they can sell it to the MAN

Fred Miller

at 23:34 on February 1st, 2009

My Facebook Screenshot with comment posted here :

http://my.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/facebook-now-public

Cat_jewel (not verified)

at 02:44 on February 2nd, 2009

Hmm... deleting the facebook account might not mean you'd totally deleted your information from their database, because there must be a backup restore in their network system don't you think?

Luke Slomka

at 11:11 on February 2nd, 2009

facebook has seemed like a great, free, bit of fun for us all, i suspect soon the free lunch will be over and we might start seeing some of the negative side of facebook usage.

Mike D (not verified)

at 07:21 on February 6th, 2009

I can see where privacy will someday be an idea relegated to books and old movies "back then..."

JimmyJones (not verified)

at 10:26 on February 6th, 2009

Wow, I am glad I use MySPace instead!

www.online-anonymity.at.tc

Wsdf (not verified)

at 10:48 on February 6th, 2009

I was fairly sure facebook sold it's soul already. The ads on the sides are annoying as all hell and can't be removed by any conventional means. I like how the founder, Mark Zuckerburg, continues to portray himself as a college student friendly person by the his choice of attire. But he obviously is past his college years and seems to be more interested in multiplying his wealth than providing students with a pure social network.

Anandamism (not verified)

at 08:18 on February 20th, 2009

"The ads on the sides are annoying as all hell and can't be removed by any conventional means."

You certainly haven't been looking very hard for a solution.

Firefox + Adblock Plus = Win

By using the above software, I've never, ever seen ads on Facebook. Setting up the Adblock Plus extension on Firefox is easier than setting up a Facebook account.

Jayson Ambrose (not verified)

at 14:35 on February 6th, 2009

I hate privacy breaches as much as the next guy, but I don't see how this is such.

The polls will appear where regular ads currently do, and you can choose not to participate. According to Facebook's privacy policy, the only information that is made available to your non-friends is what groups you are in, etc... Precisely what I can see about all of you right now.

Assuming they adhere to their own privacy policy, and they can make cash from this, why not?

3sixteen (not verified)

at 04:00 on February 26th, 2009

What I loved about facebook was the lack of bands and business's with profiles wanting to be your friend. If you wanted to, you become a fan of something. It was a great way to catch up with friends without the commercialism of myspace. Ah, but with dreams of big dollars as an internet company, it seems they have sold out, and sold out the users.