DISQUS

alan p · 1 year ago

@ Mathew...with respect, you aren't "getting" how the Facebook Opt-In works - its irrelevant what you do as a user, the data still goes back to Facebook anyway. We suspected it, the CA Security team proved it last night - the question for you now, is do you trust them to do the honourable thing with your data?

(Blogged our thoughts here, links to the CA and various other stories)

mathewi · 1 year ago

Thanks, Alan -- I get that. Maybe I didn't make it clear in the post,
but I understand that Facebook still collects the data. Personally, I
don't really care. Microsoft tracks my Web activity too, and so do
lots of other browser toolbars and plugins.

And what is "the honourable thing they should do with my data?" I
couldn't care less if they come up with some behavioural profile of me
based on my browsing behaviour -- in fact, if that stops them (or
other sites) from serving me wildly inappropriate ads, then I'm all
for it.

vanelsas · 1 year ago

Hi Mathew, I understand where you are coming from with this, but I'm sure there are vulnerable Facebook users out there that do not realise half of what their actions could lead to. Everyone tries to collect data about everyone on the Internet. It could become a dangerous thing when it happens, even if you thought it wouldn't. And the moment that data needs to be monetised, I don't think I would trust the one collecting.
But, I still think this is all part of a much more fundamental issue. Facebook has gotten their business model wrong. Providing a service for free and getting the revenues via advertisement (basic web 2.0) only works as a business model if the advertisement actually provides the user value. That is why Google takes 75% of the advertisement market. They provide value when they attach advertisment to search. SocialAds and beacons on the other hand aren't meant to provide value to the user. It is a value driver for the advertiser. So the business model is fuelled from the wrong side. It makes Facebook a walled garden service trying to leverage network value instead of user value. And where Facebook is stuck on their own platform, Google works in a slightly different walled garden. It's called the entire web ;-)

mathewi · 1 year ago

I think you're right, Alexander -- and that's an important
distinction. It's likely that more people would see Beacon as a
worthwhile tradeoff if they actually felt they were getting something
out of it, but instead it feels like they are just being taken
advantage of -- which of course they are.

alan p · 1 year ago

I think tahst exactly it - where is the "honourable thing" line to be drawn. My view is that Facebook is just the vehicle that is pushing the deabate about where the line between privacy and useful data capture lies.

I think to an extent if people trust you they will shift the line your way, but if they lose trust - as in Facebook's case imho - then they start to retract that line.

Overall though I sense that Europeans (in general) are more concerned about privacy, for eg if you look at the difference in the EU vs US Data Protection laws - so this will be an interesting battleground as well.

I also believe that youth do not value privacy as much, but that may be more due to naivete than any major cultural shift.