With more than 800 million active users on Facebook (according to their data), you can’t deny that social networking is a force to be reckoned with. People are logging in to post updates about their lives and to see what you’ve posted. But of the over 800 million people who are using social networks, a recent survey shows that many of them are concerned with privacy.
Since Facebook has taken over the top spot (and held it for a few years), it’s no wonder people are concerned. Facebook’s privacy policy has been widely criticized by lawyers and users alike. Their policy is to make everything public unless you tell them not to. You can control your privacy settings, but there are no settings that tell Facebook to stop watching what you do online.
Unless you have taken measures to stop websites from tracking your online activity, Facebook is watching; so is Google. That’s why you get so many well-targeted ads. It’s no coincidence that you see an ad for a local tattoo shop after researching tattoo design ideas. They know where you are and they know what you’re looking for.
Some people look at this as a blessing. Why should they have to look at ads they have no interest in? If I’m looking at tattoo designs, I might actually appreciate an offer from a local parlor – regardless of how it’s presented to me. On the other hand, many people think websites have gone too far and taken too many liberties.
Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I don’t mind seeing relevant ads show up on Youtube or Facebook. I mean, there would be an ad there one way or another; it may as well be interesting to me. But I do feel a little perturbed by the fact that no one ever asked me if they could track my online activity. I’d be upset if I visited a store in the mall and the owner followed me around the rest of the day. It’s an invasion of privacy. If you also feel that way, check out this post about how to block those tracking cookies without affecting your ability to search and shop online.