Elon suspends Twitter account that tracks his jet. How’s that “free speech” think going for you?
Now that the Billionaires are running social media as well as traditional media, it’s time for the Vox Populi to take action. We’ve got to #leavefacebook #killtwitter and send the billionaires to Mars with Mr. Musk on his rocket ship to uber fame and glory. Isn’t he famous enough?
What’s behind Musk’s purchase of Twitter? What about Facebook’s security, safety, and content moderation failures? Here’s the law of social media:
If you’re not paying for the service, you are the product they are selling.
It is no mystery that Google, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, and all other online sides SELL YOUR PERSONAL DATA. The worst is the Facebook Quiz trolls. Rule 1 of Facebook: NEVER ANSWER A QUIZ ON FACEBOOK. You know the ones. “If you were a movie star, who are you most like?” Don’t. Fucking. Click. On. That. Link.
I try and warn “friends” on Facebook, but I always get pushback. “There’s no harm.” or “They’ve already got all your information, don’t freak out about it.”
Both of these statements are false.
There is harm when you answer a Quiz on Facebook. Here’s how it goes.
- you have no idea what you are agreeing to (did you read the fine print?)
- they can collect and sell your information now, FOREVER
- on Facebook, they can also gather information on ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS
- once you’ve played a quiz and shared it on Facebook, everyone who clicks on the link or (heaven forbid) does the Quiz themselves because it’s so funny is now part of the package of data the Quiz owner is going to sell. Do you know who owns the quiz? Do you have any idea what you’ve agreed to? Do you have any idea how you’ve exposed all of your friend’s personal data?
The book that will give you a big “ah ha” moment is
Everything is Miscellaneous – by David Weingberget (one of the coauthors of the Cluetrain Manifesto)
Yes, all of this privacy and security stuff is *bs* to distract you from the gathering and reselling of your data. Want to see how pervasive this network of YOUR PRIVATE DATA IS? Just click on ONE AD on Facebook for a product. Now, notice even when you go to other sites, the ads for that product keep following you around the internet. I recall a bright green guitar I searched for on Amazon one time. For the next week, Guitar Center not only showed me guitars, it showed me the exact guitar I initially viewed.
Learn about the problem. Join the EFF and give them money. Use plugins that help protect your data within your browser. And practice SAFE HEX.
John McElhenney — let’s connect online
@jmacofearth & Facebook & LinkedIn & The Whole Parent
Please check out some of my books on AMAZON.
