| | * In early 2018, it was revealed that the now-defunct data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had inappropriately acquired about 50 million users' personal information around the time of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Zuckerberg testified before Congress and announced that he would change Facebook's algorithm, aiming to resolve countless privacy issues. | | * In early 2018, it was revealed that the now-defunct data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had inappropriately acquired about 50 million users' personal information around the time of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Zuckerberg testified before Congress and announced that he would change Facebook's algorithm, aiming to resolve countless privacy issues. |
| − | As a free service, it is reasonable to say that the users of facebook are the product, rather than the consumers. As Andrew Lewis is credited with saying, "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold." This concept is not new, but it is still valid even though it was originally introduced in reference to television.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=gI_jNL7PN2QC&lpg=PA104&dq=tv%20you%20are%20the%20product&pg=PA104#v=onepage&q=tv%20you%20are%20the%20product&f=false</ref> Information is valuable to advertisers, since they can use it in targeted marketing. Facebook, like other social media services, makes use of the personal information provided to users to sell advertisements. | + | As a free service, it is reasonable to say that the users of facebook are the product, rather than the consumers. As Andrew Lewis is credited with saying, "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold." This concept is not new, but it is still valid even though it was originally introduced in reference to television.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gI_jNL7PN2QC&lpg=PA104&dq=tv%20you%20are%20the%20product&pg=PA104#v=onepage&q=tv%20you%20are%20the%20product&f=false]</ref> Information is valuable to advertisers, since they can use it in targeted marketing. Facebook, like other social media services, makes use of the personal information provided to users to sell advertisements. |