Data scandal leaves customers ready to replace Facebook App

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in hot water this week after Facebook was accused of inappropriately handling users’ data. This scandal involved Cambridge Analytica, a data-analysis firm that worked for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and obtained Facebook user private data. This data breach angered many Facebook users and the hashtag “Delete Facebook” began trending on Twitter. Mark Zuckerberg has lost 9 billion dollars due to this controversy. Even though many users are upset, I believe Facebook will continue to thrive in the foreseeable future due to a couple of key factors.

One unique feature of Facebook is its integration into modern society. For instance, many smartphone apps such as “Tinder” and “OK Cupid” require users to be on Facebook in order to create an account. Many websites allow users to create accounts using their Facebook account as a login. In addition, Facebook Events and Facebook Groups have also grown more popular over the past few years because they allow users to organize and collaborate more easily than ever before. These features make it a challenge for users to completely delete their Facebook accounts since Facebook can be used with many external websites and programs.

Technology by its nature must be replaced to become obsolete. For instance, the social media website Myspace was replaced by Facebook in 2008. Television replaced radio as the premiere entertainment medium and now cable television faces intense competition from video streaming platforms like Netflix. Some hope that Facebook will eventually disappear from the internet. However, at this time, no other social media website is as robust in features as Facebook. One day a new technology or platform will replace Facebook, but that technology does not currently exist. Facebook will exist until something can replace it in the eyes of consumers.

The last factor I want to address is internet privacy. Websites such as Facebook and Google collect vast amounts of information about their users. Facebook then allows external parties to access that information for certain purposes such as marketing and advertising. Unfortunately, that data is essentially the price users must pay to use Facebook for “free.” Facebook is not the only culprit as many other websites collect user information as well. Most of the time these policies are listed in user agreements that user sign when they sign up for an account of a site. Many users do not even read the user agreements, much less realize how much data websites, apps and social media platforms collect about them. If users feel uncomfortable with the amount of information Facebook is collecting, they should also examine what other websites use their data as well. To avoid data collection, consumers would have to avoid many websites and social media platforms altogether. It is simply unrealistic for many people to do for both personal and professional reasons.

For now, Facebook will not be going away anytime soon. This is not the first or last time Facebook will have to deal with a data and privacy-related scandal. Facebook has integrated itself into many people’s professional and personal lives whether they realize it or not. This makes it very difficult for users to abandon the platform on a large scale. However, no technology lasts forever and there is no doubt in my mind that something will come along to take Facebook’s place. Until then, users should educate themselves, think critically about the role that these platforms have in our lives and be mindful of their online posts and activities.