Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg says it collects data on its users to make sure they are secure – but that people like when it is used to show them ads.
Seriously? If that’s so, why are adblocking plugins so popular and why are websites fighting back? This is an ongoing arms race. I’ve noticed more and more sites are blocking adblockers. Simple enough to circumvent though – there are scripts that will block the adblock blocker.
The claims come in an article written by the CEO that attempts to justify Facebook’s business practises and argues that critics have misunderstood the company.
I very much doubt that. The business model is all bout mining data to sell and I very much doubt that this makes anyone safe.
Mr Zuckerberg attempts to correct a number of falsehoods about the company, including suggestions that it sells people’s data. He notes that Facebook instead sells access to that data, and that if it gave the information it holds over to people then it would hurt its own businesses.
So what is the difference between selling the data and selling access to the data? Sounds like much the same thing to me. But, again, adblockers make it all moot anyway.
The Facebook boss also claims that people want such personalised ads, and that they prefer that the company collects data to ensure that the posts that show are “relevant”.
Okay, folks, who wants personal ads? Who wants any ads?
Could be getting a whole lot more difficult if you use Chrome:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/22/google_chrome_browser_ad_content_block_change/
I don’t really mind the ads, mostly they are unobtrusive and I just ignore them. I also understand that they allow me to get free content by helping to pay for stuff. The ads on commercial radio are more annoying but I understand that they are needed if you don’t want to listen to the BBC. I’m also bemused by the way that the ads are targeted, often advertising things that I have just bought or things that I have no interest in whatsoever
Speaking of advertising, I’ve been round Asda today and saw that just about all of Gillette’s shaving products are marked down.
Selling vs selling access.
Working girl and pimp or madame.
So is Mark Zuckerberg a pimp or a madame?
Neither — he’s a cunt.
I thought they were useful?
Selling dada vs access to data.
Sell the data you get a one off lump sum payment for the data and the purchasers can play for months with it analysing all over the place and millions of variables.
Access means you get several payments as the mining companies try all those different variables and you make a lot more than you could as a single payment. A much more profitable business model as you can see.
As long as they aren’t intrusive, I really don’t mind. They never sell me anything I wasn’t buying anyway.