Since the 2000’s the human race has seen technological advancements far greater than anything we as a people could have expected. The invention of computers, cellphones, and the internet have closed the gap between countries and communities all over the world. But where do these interactions and connections take place? Many would say the rise of social media networks are where the majority of global conversations take place, and for that you’d be right. Compared to a decade ago, you may have had a friend or family member not active on a social media platform. Now it’s more common to meet someone who has a profile on Facebook than someone with a driver’s license. In 2021 2.98 billion active users are on Facebook alone. Companies worth millions and billions of dollars in a sense control the internet and the way in which we interact with others. So what does this mean to the general public?

Pixabay / Pexels

The conversation comes down to: how much personal information do you share online? How much and what are you willing to share? When you post something on social media networks you are not only sharing it with your friends but with every user on the platform. At what point does the information strangers know about you become an invasion of privacy? These are some of the questions being brought up in social circles across the internet and are being discussed on a government level. Since 2019, Facebook, and other social media titans have been less than transparent with what they do with the data you share on their social media sites. The BBC, Global News, and other news publications brought to light what Big Tech is doing with the mass amounts of data and why they collect it. 

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook has come out multiple times saying Facebook doesn’t sell the date of their consumers, but there is a fine line to that statement made by him. The way Zuckerberg uses the word “sell” isn’t the conventional way one might use it like how one would buy groceries at a store. The way in which Facebook conducts business regarding the “sale” of data is through partnerships. Facebook will partner with the highest bidder and then become contractually obligated to give the data to the partnered company, person, government, the list goes on. With the right amount of money and connections, anyone can purchase your data and you’d be none the wiser. This is the way most social media empires get around the loophole of outright selling your personal information without your consent. 

Pixabay / geralt

This also raises concerns in regards to hackers and cyber criminals. Since data is stored in one confined area hackers have an easier time pinpointing the location of millions of user’s information. Photos, names, emails, street addresses, family members, and purchase information are all within the grasp of these cyber criminals once they find the location. Playstation Network, Twitch.tv, and the most recent Facebook hack are all examples of hackers getting hold of your information. Over 533 million of Facebook’s users were subject to the data leak in April of 2021. Phone numbers and personal data were leaked to the internet without any notice. Much of Facebook’s own code was deleted temporarily, stopping anyone from accessing Facebook and any other Facebook-owned companies, such as Instagram and Whatsapp. It brought into question how safe our data is in the hands of those who would sell it to anonymous entities, and having little concern over their user’s private information leaking.

To combat the compiling of the public’s data many are looking towards expanding the market of social media by creating new networks. However this has proven to be quite the difficult task. Social Media sites such as Locals, and the once independent Instagram were paving a new path towards a free market. But Big Tech companies such as Facebook, and Rumble have bought out these smaller companies meshing them with their larger network. It’s the reason why social media apps ask you if you’d like to connect your information, pictures, and friends with other apps. We are seeing the same thing happening here in Canada when it comes to start up companies. Microsoft recently purchased a Kelowna-based tech company. Two Hats the Kelowna tech company announced Friday they had made a deal with Microsoft. Two Hats was a tech company specializing in content moderation in online communities. Microsoft put out a statement discussing the importance of Two Hats software.

“For any online community to thrive, content moderation is a critical investment to ensure positive user experiences and maintain engagement over time.”

– Microsoft, Public Relations

Microsoft also went on to add they’d be using Two Hat’s technology to protect and nurture diverse online communities for the future. 

Pixabay / coffeebeanworks

In recent news, Facebook has announced their new branding, renaming the company Meta. Meta is a project led by Zuckerberg and his team, involving the implementation of virtual reality into the social media realm. Zuckerberg accomplished this after purchasing Oculus, a virtual reality headset used specifically to mimic physical movement and cast them to a virtual space. Moving Facebook’s social space into a virtual setting monopolizes the market and allows Facebook to take complete control and moderate who and what they please. Critics of Facebook’s new virtual reality network say it wasn’t created in good faith and may be a similar situation to how Facebook is moderating their current platform. These calls for clarity are falling on deaf ears. A majority of the user base on Facebook is using the platform’s content algorithm to create unrest between opposing political parties and civil unrest resulting in real world problems.

At this point in time, one can only be so careful. Taking precautions such as using a VPN are a perfect example of ways to protect your data from cyber criminals and data buyers. Be careful and think twice about what information you are willing to let others know. The internet can be a challenging place to navigate through but with a little common sense and knowledge you can continue to use social media in a safe and controlled manner.