The Facebook Conspiracy – Cambridge Analytica – What Now?

The great Facebook Conspiracy you cry! How could they do this? I can’t believe how much of an intrusion into my privacy this is. I am so glad Cambridge Analytica alerted us to this! Facebook conspiracy, who cares!

These are all things you have probably heard or even uttered yourself over the last week or so. Since the news broke about so called invasion of privacy, using data to influence scenarios, some as big as the actual elections of the United States of America. Well I’m going to go ahead and say it. Really? You’re surprised, shocked and appalled? You had no idea this was happening? This has been going on since digital channels were introduced. Actually it’s been going on since well before the internet. Data has been key, it’s just easier to collect these days.

When we deliver sessions to schools, parents, and businesses one of the examples we talk about is ‘the most dangerous thing  on the internet’. We ask people to tell us what that is. There are a plethora of answers relating to; identity thieves, groomers, sexual predators, predators in general looking to defraud you, cyberbullies and the list goes on. These are all dangerous of course, but it’s not the answer we are looking for.

Our answer is far less obvious and that is perhaps the problem. The most dangerous thing on the internet is this. .

The T’s&C’s check box – that one that no one reads and just ticks. Or as above when you signed up for Facebook all those years ago, you didn’t even tick a box. The mere act of entering your details and clicking sign up meant you were agreeing to the terms and conditions of Facebook and you never knew what they were/are.

But that’s not the issue, you say.

The issue is that the data being accessed is through sources other than Facebook and Facebook should be doing more to stop their partners and apps from accessing the data they store. After all, Facebook professes to keep our information private, unless we say otherwise. But herein lies the issue. A lot of people, even though Facebook is now 14 years old are still just getting to grips with privacy settings for their accounts, let alone for their posts. So the likelihood of them checking up on what apps have access to their profile and what companies advertising have access to them is pretty slim. Ever wonder why the option to log in to various sites and apps with your FB login exists??

Settings We Need to Have A Look At

Look and these images which show you exactly where to go and check out which apps have what kind of access to your data and your connections data if you let them! You might be quite surprised just how many there are and how much information they gain access to, about you and your friends!

We stopped screen shotting as it was taking up too much room, but you can see just how many apps had access. If you click on the pencil on any of them you will also see exactly what kind of information they have access too. Specifically email address and your Friends list on the majority of them, as well as the ability to post on your behalf and of course send you notifications.

This is all about awareness. As  aforementioned, you really shouldn’t be surprised that your data is accessed. After all how many of you have ever read the Terms and Conditions of, well, anything you’ve signed up for online lately. However, there are ways we can take some control over this and perhaps this is the real positive from the Cambridge Analytica scenario. It brings awareness to these things that are happening under our noses but without our real awareness or understanding.