"Frontline: The Facebook Dilemma" Reaction

    While watching part one of "Frontline: The Facebook Dilemma," I learned a lot more about the situation regarding Facebook and the way they handle our data. 

    I didn't join Facebook until May 2016, when I was 14 years old. I did not join so I could post updates about what was going on in my life; I got an account so I could vote for the Teen Choice Awards. At the time, you had to have a Facebook account to vote, so I decided to make one. I've always been very careful about the information I make public on my account to prevent strangers from seeing personal information. I have virtually no information about myself in my bio, I only become "friends" with people I actually know, and I don't even post that often. This all stems from a place of not wanting some actual individual to see my account and all my personal information, and then try and find me IN PERSON. Long story short, I don't want to get kidnapped. I'm well aware of those dangers of the internet and social media, and I had heard some information about Facebook selling data, but I did not know the details of it prior to watching the documentary. 

    In the documentary, they explained that Facebook began to partner with data companies, called brokers, that collected people's data. They would not only sell people's data without them knowing, but they would also use it to target specific content and ads to them. They would even go as far as to track people through pixels.

    Previously, I had heard that Facebook was selling data, but I never knew there were actual companies in America that were legally allowed to buy, store, and sell people's information. 

    I find it very unsettling that companies can do this, especially with information that I did not even know they had about me. This whole topic reminds me of something I've heard a lot of people talk about, which is our phones and computers listening to us. I actually hear a lot of people talk about this in relation to Facebook, but I've heard about it and had it happen on just normal websites as well. What will happen is someone will be having a verbal, in-person conversation, with their devices not in use, but still somewhere in the vicinity, about something random, let's say prom dresses for example, and then, the next time they are online they will have ads pop up for prom dresses. People have tried testing this with different products that they have never talked about or searched for previously. For instance, one YouTuber by the name of Mitchollow has performed a series of tests to see if Google or his computer is listening. 

    Although "Frontline: The Facebook Dilemma" did not discuss this specifically, my mother has noted that it has happened to her on several occasions where she will mention something and then see an advertisement related to that topic on her Facebook feed.

Screenshot from my personal Facebook account

    In conclusion, the idea of companies having information about me, aside from that which I knowingly publish myself, is quite concerning, and I'll be curious to see if the push for stricter privacy laws continues. 

    Finally, I feel as though the best way to close this blog post is to include the following screenshot I took on my Facebook account earlier today when I went to look up when I activated my account. Oh the irony.