Facebook – ready to sell you out for cash
Cash Advance Mojo wonders when we’ll all be plugged into the advertising “matrix.”
World leaders and luminaries who met at Davos, Switzerland recently didn’t come up with the magic answer to put the humpty-dumpty world back together again. In fact, the consensus they came to is that there are economic problems that needs fixing. For a fantasy geek like me, this reminds me of Treebeard at the Council of Ents. If you’ve read or seen the movie “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” you know what kind of political inertia I’m talking about. But did Treebeard then turn around and sell Merry and Pippin to Saruman?
No, but in a way, that’s what Facebook plans to do with any personal information you have on their site. They are going to sell your information to companies that partner with them. Starting this spring, these partners will be able to target Facebook’s members with their products and advertising messages. They’ll use a tool called engagement ads, which coincidentally were demonstrated at the World Economic Forum.
The future of advertising?
Lidija Davis of ReadWriteWeb reports that Facebook’s 150-plus million user database will be an open book to generate revenue. According to the Wall Street Journal, these engagement ads will appear on the home page of Facebook when you first log in. If you interact with an ad, Facebook will tell your friends what you were viewing. Invasion of privacy, anyone? This is not an opt-in, opt-out situation that law typically requires for the release of personal data to advertisers. Payday loan companies at least give you that much. If you interact with the ad, your data is as good as theirs – so be careful what you click.
Admittedly, the interactiveness of these ads will allow companies to receive valuable feedback. That could theoretically improve marketing messages to the point that ads will be tailored to the needs and desires of the individual (think the three-dimensional “ractives” of Neal Stephenson’s sci-fi novel “The Diamond Age“). All of this will happen in real time, which is extraordinary in its way, even if the science fiction element is still years away.
Protect yourself
This type of advertising could be an improvement over Facebook’s previous efforts. Some advertisers have called their marketing tool set “confusing.” However, with user interaction guiding the way, Facebook is hoping for something entirely new and effective for its advertisers.
What does this mean for Facebook users, and online social marketing adherents in general? It means that more than ever, you must be careful what information you post to your online profiles. Photos, data, other media files, your associations – all’s fair in the advertising game. If you’re comfortable with that, post away. If, however, you are more cautious when it comes to how your personal information is used, think about things first. In an information age when data flashes back and forth at the speed of an insatiable World Wide Will, perhaps you’ll come to value the data protection and opt-in, opt-out choice cash advance companies offer you when you need extra cash>.
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I agree with vkingston… the “gee, look how many friends I have” social media syndrome opens you up to potential trouble when it comes to controlling your personal information. What you put out there in cyberspace should be done with good judgment and caution. Plus, really… are all of those people ACTUALLY your friends? Have we devalued the concept of friendship that much these days?
I may end up deleting my Facebook account. I know that advertising has a value, but I don’t need to have an ad for something pop up every ten seconds, and I especially don’t want my information sold to anyone. If memory serves, I believe they call that identity theft.
Interesting. I have a Facebook account and I love it. I like the fact that you are able to see your friends’ interests and activities. If one of my friends acknowledges something they like, they’re able to share it with all their friends quite easily. I guess if you are worried about having your privacy then you shouldn’t befriend thousands of people you don’t know just for the heck of it. Nevertheless, this sounds like a good plan.