As consumers are much more likely to try or buy something
for the first time if a friend or someone they know recommends it, it was only
going to be a matter of time before Google jumped this potential advertising
revenue gold mine. With Facebook already using the information people post on their
site to link them to adverts, Google is not breaking new ground. There is more than
a gold mine of information on the users of both companies’ sites, about their habits,
what they like, dislike and so on that it makes logical sense from an
advertising perspective to go one stage beyond personalised adverts to make
sure that not just the adverts we see are targeted but are targeted with a
specific picture or recommendation from a personal connection we have on the
internet.
Yet, both companies changes in their privacy settings, which
means that it is harder for a user to hide and easier for these large companies
to potentially exploit their users posts, likes, pictures etc. to manipulate
information posted on a site in to an endorsement of a product, taking it out
of context, was done to make this shared endorsement easier.
The legal debate surrounding privacy on the internet is
still in its infancy. Currently it is up to the large companies to decide how
much privacy to afford its users or members. However, as their privacy becomes more
and more encroached on governments of various countries will start to become
more involved. The NY Times reports that Facebook has recently settled a class
action connected to privacy and that lawmakers in the EU are considering the
recent changes in Google’s privacy in its new legislation.
To date, lawmakers across the globe have generally not
gotten involved in the privacy debate. However, as these large companies search
for more ways to make revenue through the personal information people they may
be shooting themselves in the foot in the long term. As they push for less and
less privacy so too will the lawmakers start to create law around these issues.
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