Facebook.com is digging its own shallow website grave. Through their actions to generate more revenue, Facebook.com is turning away their strongest users. According to an article reported in SiliconValley.com “Users decry Facebook tracking”, Facebook is now tracking their users online purchases-and reporting them to friends. If an item is purchased on Overstock.com for instance, the retailer will notify Facebook of the purchases, and Facebook will promptly display it in the mini-feeds of the consumer’s friends. The consumer is implicitly endorsing the product which in theory will create more revenue for the retailer. Facebook benefits from companies paying them for this service. So everyone is happy right? Nope. Many facebook users were extremely surprised when they saw their purchase was posted online. Personally, I had no idea Facebook was doing this. Facebook has added “stalkerish” features before, this however takes the cake. Like many of the students quoted in the article, I do not want my friends to know my online purchases. I could be buying something that is very private. The article mentioned what if the book Coping With Aids was displayed. After reading this article, I am seriously contemplating turning off my Facebook account.
Although I don’t like it, I believe Facebook has a right to do it. They provide a service, online networking. Since online networking is not a necessity of life and the service is free, Facebook should be able to do what they want. However, they should still respect the privacy rights of their users. Users should be better informed of the new feature. Facebook obviously did not do a good job since I go on every day, and never saw a message about this. Further, users should be able to turn off the feature if it bothers them. People often want their online purchases kept a secret. Besides the convenience of not leaving the house, many people buy items online they would be too embarrassed or scared to buy in person. Yesterday, I bought such a purchase. The purchase was perfectly legal, and I have a right to use it. Facebook defended its practice by saying it was only provided the information to “a small selection of a user's trusted network of friends.” I know Facebook does not seriously believe this themselves, because most people have a few hundred friends. A few hundred friends (or more accurately acquaintances or people you met once) is not a small trusted network. Of course I am not going to say what it was (who knows who actually reads this blog). My stomach dropped a little bit when I thought maybe for a second my purchase had been displayed. After investigating, I know it wasn’t. Further, I do not want my name and image implicitly endorsing a product I just happened to buy. If the company wants me to endorse a product, they should pay me directly, and I will even proudly tell all my friends in person I use. Overall, Facebook has finally gone too far. Even people with the slightest bit of intelligence realized when they signed up for Facebook they were giving up privacy right. Yet, should we have to give up them all? That is a decision everyone must make themselves. Personally, I am going to go delete my Facebook.
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