“What’s your problem? Nobody is forced to use Facebook, it’s your choice!”
Err, no! just because that stupid argument is parroted ad nauseam throughout the internet since, forever, doesn’t make it true. In reality, we are all Facebook users, no matter if we want to or not. That choice is made for us (usually by the dimwits who claim otherwise).
I don’t have a Facebook account. That doesn’t mean, I don’t have a profile, though. Courtesy of every idiot who (illegally) uploaded their addressbook, with my contacts in it, to the service. An email address/telephone number/name record might not look like much on it’s own, but to Facebook, that data is invaluable. To them, I am someone who can be invited to join the network. I am a puzzle piece that expands the social graph. Needless to say that neither is in my interest.
Browsing the web is more or less impossible without stepping into social media widgets left and right. You guess it, the main purpose of those like/vote/whatever buttons is to track the reader. Welcome to the wonderful world of the shadow profile! Should you step out of the anonymity, then Facebook already knows what your interests are and this is where we get to the final piece.
My Android smartphone comes with the facebook app preloaded. Courtesy of my device manufacturer. My choice? Not so much, my manufacturer was paid to make that one for me. But at least I don’t have to open the app if I don’t want to use it, right? Well, use Raccoon, search for the App, look at the permissions. It’s a rather elaborate list including the right to check the accounts on the device and be notified upon boot completion. Takes a bit of extra effort to set up your smartphone in a way that ensures that the app won’t ID you.
Oh btw, philosophical question: when are you a Facebook user? When you share stuff with your “friends”? I’d say you are one when you look at their ads. Wanna know how many of your apps are build against the Facebook ad SDK? No? Thought so!
