Cambridge Analytica is in the news for allegedly stealing user data from Facebook and then using it to help the GOP in the 2016 election. In short they took user data from Facebook profiles while users were interacting with a personality quiz.
While this company claims that they did not violate Facebook’s rules on how they handle data and that they also complied with their own “privacy” policy. It just goes to show that when using almost any “free” service online, you are paying for it in the end by supplying information about yourself to that company and any 3rd party they share or sell that information to.
While this case seems to deal primarily with people clicking on a Facebook link and then going to a 3rd party website to take a quiz. There are many ways that Facebook (or the companies they “work” with) can take (steal) your data.
So how do you protect yourself while in “Zuckerberg Land”? There are a number of ways to limit (but never eliminate) the chances your data ends up where you never expected it to.
Limit what information you share in your bio:
Do you real need to put every school you went to? Where you worked or work at? What your favorite restaurant or movies are? How you voted last time around? The State and city you live in? The more information you give away, the easier it is to collect and then refine what is know about you. Share less and be safer.
Change the privacy settings on Facebook:
Click on the help icon then settings and then privacy. Under “Your Activity” change your settings from “public” to “friends only”. Look at the other settings and decide what levels you feel comfortable with. For me I don’t wish to share my phone numbers and other info with strangers.
Don’t play that Game:
Every game, survey, quiz and who were you in a past life link on Facebook is for the most part paid for by an outside company. And that company somehow needs to pay to run the website that said link game or quiz is running from.
Most companies don’t give away stuff for free unless they are somehow going to make money from you. So the vast majority of these companies are gathering your information and selling it. Don’t play the games and take the quizzes and they will have less of your information.
The Takeaway:
The less information you give to Facebook (or any company online) the more privacy you will enjoy. So the next time a Facebook recommend or sponsored post appears in your feed offering to show you what Egyptian Pharaoh you were in a past life pops up. Keep scrolling…