Five Things You Did Not Know About Social Media
Welcome back, my Astounding Allies
I cannot overemphasise the impact of social media in our world today. Many lives have been transformed both positively and negatively by social media. Interestingly, too many people are still oblivious about what social media is really about and what it can do. In this article, I want to share with you five things you did not know about social media. Let’s get on with it!
1. They store your data whether you have an account or not
One might think that so long as you don’t create social medial accounts, they don’t have your information. Contrary to this mindset, most social media platforms still collect information from you by your mere visiting of their websites. Anytime you visit Facebook, even without taking any particular action, Facebook uses cookies to gather information about your visit to their website and application. This includes your device information and your online activities, regardless of whether you have a Facebook account or not. Below is what Facebook has to say:
Cookies enable Facebook to offer the Facebook Products to you and to understand the information we receive about you, including information about your use of other websites and apps, whether or not you are registered or logged in. This policy explains how we use cookies and the choices you have. Except as otherwise stated in this policy, the Data Policy will apply to our processing of the data that we collect via cookies.
2. Your identity is used in ads that are shown to other users
Instagram shows your identity, specifically your username, profile picture, and information about your relationships such as “follows” and actions such as “likes”. For instance, they may show that you liked a sponsored post created by a brand that has paid them to display its ads on Instagram. Below is what they have to say about this:
Permission to use your username, profile picture and information about your relationships and actions with accounts, ads and sponsored content. You give us permission to show your username, profile picture and information about your actions (such as likes) or relationships (such as follows) next to or in connection with accounts, ads, offers and other sponsored content that you follow or engage with that are displayed on Meta Products, without any compensation to you. For example, we may show that you liked a sponsored post created by a brand that has paid us to display its ads on Instagram [1].
3. They hold on to content you deleted
Nothing you delete on social media really gets deleted. The word “Delete” on social media is just a hoax to make people feel good and safe. So that after clicking on “Delete” and you no longer find the content, you think “that is it, it is gone forever!”. Sadly, the reality is that, even though the content is hidden from public view, it is still persistent on their servers. “One will probably say, but if the content is hidden from the public, that should solve the problem.” Well, maybe it will, maybe not. The challenge is that what if that social media platform gets hacked, and the hacker decides to publish that information to the public? Let’s even say they delete your content like they claim they do, it will probably be visible where others have shared it, or may even be archived on other websites. The solution is that, whatever you may not want to see in the future, simply, don’t post it!
4. Your private messages could be read
Understand that when it comes to social media, nothing is private. Every message you send to people on Facebook gets read and analysed by Facebook. Therefore, if you want a private way of communication, social media is not the answer. With regards to reading your messages, below is what Facebook has to say:
Our systems automatically process content and communications you and others provide to analyze context and what’s in them for the purposes described below [2].
5. They gather information about you through third parties
Most social media platforms gather information about you from third parties. It is not a matter of whether you are active on social media or not. You may not even have an account on any of the social media platforms, yet they may possess your information through third parties. Below is what Facebook has to say about this:
We also receive information about your online and offline actions and purchases from third-party data providers who have the rights to provide us with your information. Partners receive your data when you visit or use their services or through third parties they work with [2].
It is evident that if you really want to keep a minimal online presence, it is not enough not to be on social media. Therefore, before you share any information with any credible website, app or company, you must review their privacy policy to know exactly what you are getting yourself into. One of the questions I get quite frequently is “what do I do to avoid being hacked?” One of the first recommendations is that keep a minimal online presence. Don’t share intimate and personal information online. Watch out for my series on how to secure your identity in the cloud.
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References
[1] https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870
[2] https://web.facebook.com/about/privacy/update/printable
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