Is it good or bad to make money from selling user information (like Facebook and Google do)?
Introduction
Privacy and free speech has changed the way people go about doing their daily activities, sharing information and protecting information. Google and Facebook are at the centers of privacy and data concerns raised by innumerable people. There have been both supporters and detractors of Facebook and Google on their use of data of users (Rosen).
My Claim
It is unethical to sell user information without the consent of users and their complete understanding of how the information will be used.
Importance
The extent and inclusion of social media and internet based sites like Facebook and Google into people’s life is huge. Users are sharing all information on Facebook and searching on google. Many times such information is sensitive enough and could have a major impact on the user ranging from unwanted sales calls, emails to serious fraudulent activities.
Reason 1
The right to privacy must be kept at the highest level for an individual.
Details
The right to privacy for an individual is a fundamental right of every individual, and this is a clear mandate in most if not all countries. Social media companies like Facebook offer free services but sell user data to make their profits and, in turn, leave the users vulnerable to unwanted calls, contacts and at a risk of fraudulent activities.
Counter-Arguments
Facebook maintains on its privacy basics FAQs that it does not sell user information.
Facebook provides the users the access for defining their privacy levels for data. Facebook maintains that it keeps the privacy of its users at utmost priority. So it is eventually the user who has the control for sharing or not sharing their data (Facebook.com).
Rebuttal
The FAQ section of Facebook maintains that it does not sell information to advertisers but on the same line it adds that “unless you give us permission”. That disclaimer itself proves that Facebook does sell user data despite all the counter claims.
Reason 2
What users search is private and that mixed with personal information could be dangerous for the safety and security of that individual in the wrong hands.
Details
Google is the defacto search engine with a huge following worldwide. Google has other products like Hangout and Gmail that contains sensitive user data like date of birth, age, phone and other contact details. The search patterns of any user mixed with personal user data make users vulnerable.
Counter-Arguments
Google maintains search data, but that is for analytic purpose. Google informs it beforehand that search data is saved and allow users to delete their search history if they wish to delete it from Google servers.
Rebuttal
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple has taken the fight with Google and argued that Google has no right to sell user data to advertisers and mine the family photos and data of unsuspecting users. Tim further adds that Apple rejects the idea of a separation between privacy and security (Griffin).
Reason 3
The situation is so bad that it might be required to create laws that would restrict tracking of data.
Details
Research studies and survey reports on random people suggest that people are not comfortable in getting their data tracked. Most people are of the opinion that United States must implement laws that restrict tracking of user data (Rosen).
Counter-Arguments
User data tracking is not bad, it is most important for tracking fraudulent activities. Major companies require user data for ensuring the safety of the users itself from fraudsters.
Rebuttal
The user data tracking by companies like Facebook and Google is different from those of financial and banking organizations. Facebook and Google do not provide any financial tracking or services that would give them right over user data.
Connections
The claim that it is unethical to sell user data by Google and Facebook has sufficient reasoning in the fact that user privacy is above all else. The user must have complete authority over their private information. The situation is so bad that CEO of a respectable company like Apple has spoken up, and people want laws against data tracking.
Conclusion
Google and Facebook claims that they respect user privacy and data but that claim is very superficial and users do not have actual right over their data being shared to advertisers. It is high time that appropriate laws are made into effect and social media companies are made to properly inform their customers about the data use and privacy.
Works Cited
Facebook.com,. (2016). Facebook Privacy Basics. Retrieved 25 February 2016,
Rosen, Jeffrey. "Deciders: The Future of Privacy and Free Speech in the Age of Facebook and
Google, The." Fordham L. Rev. 80 (2011): 1525.
Griffin, A. (2015). Tim Cook is picking a fight with Google and Facebook. independent.co.uk.
Retrieved 25 February 2016, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style
/gadgets-and-tech/news/apple-boss-tim-cook-slams-google-and-facebook-for-selling-their-users-data-10295158.html
