Why I abandoned Facebook...
I abandoned Facebook couple of years back. Well, almost abandoned it. To the point where I would only login once in a month and check for any notifications. My reason for abandoning it was mostly around data privacy and how Facebook was influencing my decision making. Positive reinforcement by rewarding me with likes and comments on my posts is what made me realise how much time I was spending on Facebook which could otherwise be used for self improvement. Waste of time aside, data privacy was my main concern. I didn’t know who had access to my data and where it was being used without my explicit permission. I am not talking about that 10 page long small font legal jargon but clear written words on who will have access to my data and for what.
Now I am coming to a realisation that it might not be as simple as quitting Facebook. As most of you know by now, your every click and page view is being recorded and monitored. You have to go to great lengths to avoid being tracked. I think its time we should stop worrying about our data being captured and concentrate on how to make sure it is not being miss-used or taken advantage off. Any use of it should be clearly communicated and understood by all parties involved. And the reason for making sure it is not being miss-used or miss-interpreted is very soon we might not have any way to avoid being tracked, recorded and analyzed. Technology is evolving at a pace where software(AI) will soon detect our thoughts, ideas and potential reaction to a situation. Therefore next time when you discuss data privacy with anyone, try and focus on what it will be used for and by who rather than why it is being collected.
Here are some amazing TED talks that give you a glimpse of what is currently happening and what the future holds.
How tech companies deceive you into giving up your data and privacy https://www.ted.com/talks/finn_myrstad_how_tech_companies_deceive_you_into_giving_up_your_data_and_privacy
When technology can read minds, how will we protect our privacy? https://www.ted.com/talks/nita_farahany_when_technology_can_read_minds_how_will_we_protect_our_privacy
Operations Manager
6 年Facebook is like a drug which has taken its toll on how I spend my time. Over the last few months my FB activity has decreased, and im heading towards the exit door, I have learned the hard way when it comes to the data/privacy breach, the Best decision was to replace FB with actual books, I have discovered more in 2 months about Indo-Pak-USA history through books than I ever did on Facebook about anything. Great article covering the current situation, 99% of the people out there have no idea what is happening with their data and personal information. Moreover, it gets worst each year. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/about-scamwatch/scam-statistics?scamid=all&date=2018
Chartered Engineer, MCibse, RPEV
6 年Abandon Google and all Alphabet subsidiaries. Mammoth task, but hey try duckduckgo for a starter as a no tracking search engine and perhaps Signal for end to end sms encryption. And peer to peer WAN instead of centralized internet providers.. it is an extremely difficult process but a good little hobby for all the tech geeks at heart ??
Driving innovation with advanced technologies | Partnering with CTOs, CDOs, CIOs & Engineering Teams | Seasoned Consultant | Architect | Cloud (Azure/AWS) | .NET | DevSecOps | AI | R&D Leader | Integration | 22+ years
6 年So when are you coming back to Facebook? ?? BTW very well written & future thinking article