Data is a valuable asset in today’s economy. Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and others are in the data business. They give their end-users free stuff in return for personal information. But as all of us have realized, nothing in this world is free. Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal shows that data is a force that can not only impact people’s personal lives, but it can change public discourse and create a threat to the fabric of society. The worst part of this story is that the centralized models that Facebook and others have created have left the general population helpless.
What Happened with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica?
The story is still developing. So all the details are still not clear and more information will be revealed as time passes. However, the current storyline is as follows:
Aleksandr Kogan, a Cambridge University professor who is the head of Global Science Research (GSR), created a personality quiz that was taken by few hundred thousand people via their Facebook pages. However, the application collected information about the “friends” of that individual without any consent of the users. It wasn’t a breach because the process didn’t break any rules, rather bent the rules a little. The recent estimate given by Facebook is that 87 million user’s data was collected.
Facebook was aware of the situation three years ago but never informed the public. The collected data was then used by Cambridge Analytica (through a contract with GSR) to create targeted ads on various platforms for both Brexit and 2016 US elections.
The scandal started to take shape when whistleblower Christopher Wylie came forward. Wylie joined SCL Elections in 2013. There he worked on a research project with GSR. SCL Elections is the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, a London-based firm that works with governments, political campaigns, and non-governmental agencies to provide data-driven ad campaigns to influence consensus. Wylie remembered parts of the slogans used in the 2016 US election being tested out during his time at SCL.
In 2015, The Guardian reported about the GSR data. Facebook took legal action against GSR and reached a settlement. By March 2017, GSR certified to Facebook that all collected data and its derivatives have been deleted.
The biggest point of discontent is Facebook not being transparent about what happened. Even though it was aware of the huge data collected by GSR, it didn’t take any steps to inform its end-users. Currently, Facebook earns an average of $84.41 for each North American user and $27.26 for each European user. It seems like Facebook valued its advertising money over the personal manipulation and breach of trust that followed due to the unauthorized use of the data.
Facebook is in the middle of a PR nightmare. Besides the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal, there is also the issue of fake news stories and studies showing that Facebook usage can lead to diminished happiness.
Escaping Centralized Control is not Easy
As a result of the scandal, #DeleteFacebook started to trend. Elon Musk ordered the deletion of SpaceX and Tesla Facebook pages. There were also a lot of enthusiastic users who wanted to delete their accounts. However, general users soon realized that it wasn’t easy getting rid of your social media account.
Today Facebook accounts are connected to multiple applications. Popular apps like Spotify, Pandora, Instagram, Pinterest and more uses Facebook login. Deleting the account will lock people out of those accounts too. Also, a lot of people have started to rely on Facebook calendars for birthday information. They might also rely on Facebook for their messaging and keep in touch with contacts. It’s difficult to disconnect yourself from the centralized model if you are not ready for it.
Make a Pledge to Change
Users should learn an important lesson from this story. You shouldn’t give up control over your information to a central authority without questioning its intentions. Companies like Facebook and Google are businesses. Their purpose is to make money. Even though they might have good intentions for their end-users, they are obligated to their stockholders. So they will always prioritize optimizing the product. In this case, the product is you, the general user.
However, another important realization should be that centralized social media can’t totally control you. After all, it’s a habit. It might have created an ecosystem where it seems inescapable, but it’s not. At one stage of the internet’s development, it seemed like AOL was the only way to reach it. Today most young people probably don’t even know what AOL is.
Everyone on the internet should be vigilant about their rights. People should judge every technology on its merit. At BitClave, we are trying to create a future where users have more choices to access the world. In a BitClave ecosystem, users who generate the data own the data. There is accountability. BitClave uses blockchain to add transparency to data movements. You will have the power to give consent. Not only that, you will get paid for businesses to use your data. On the other side of the equation, businesses will be able to access information of users with full confidence they are not breaking any laws. With the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into play in May 2018, it will become more important for businesses to have accountability.
For businesses and consumers who decide to get off centralized platforms, it’s totally possible. You need to plan. You need to look at your behavioral patterns and decide what’s important to you. Like BitClave, there are other platforms that are building a decentralized model of operation. In these ecosystems, you have a better chance of having control of your own data. So the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal can become a catalyst for change. It can forward us towards the next evolution of the internet. Find out more information today. Make a pledge to change and start your journey to a new future.
