There is a lot of talk recently regarding just how invasive Facebook has become in our everyday lives. The recent scandals from the presidential election to the current data sharing practices have left many wondering is it worth it to keep using the social media platform.

Is being able to see recipes on Facebook, or read a news article that can be found elsewhere worth it? When you weigh how much of your personal information that private third-party companies can obtain through your everyday use of the site, it just might not be.

The current controversies surrounding Facebook have led to a revolt by their user base.

The #deletefacebook campaign is aimed at getting enough support to force some type of meaningful change at the company.

Advertisers have done this for years

It's no secret that the bread and butter of advertising agencies are the data regarding their potential customer base. Being able to directly target likely customers is vital to a companies success. Without this information, most companies would fail to strive.

That is the argument that advertisers want you to hear. That without invading personal privacy they cannot succeed as businesses. While there is some truth to it. the claim is dubious at best.

What is more alarming is the depths of this invasion today. Before, advertisers would use tactics like collecting your email address or phone number.

This would give them an opportunity to target you through several means of communication. However, there was some tacit complicity as you would be submitting that information, usually after a purchase. The consumer could expect some coupons or discounts and in the end, everyone was happy.

Now, the quest for data-driven analytics has resulted in every aspect of a person's life being collected for data.

The results are far more infringing on people's rights than they think. Before, you would get a coupon for Chinese food because you ordered there recently. Now, the analytics are so driven that it can be predicted in many cases that you are going to order Chinese food simply because the data says you will be. The accuracy is what is scary here.

Can Zuckerberg be trusted?

It is easy to see where this type of broad-based surveillance and data collection can be dangerous. In the wrong hands, this type of power could topple nations and damage the world economy. Some would argue Facebook has already done both of those things over the past several years.

It's hard to believe that Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is the correct person to hold such power.

Whether he was an immature kid making an off-color comment, or if he truly understood the type of power he was acquiring, is a moot point right now. The fact remains that as Facebook continues to grow, users will have to weigh whether or not the risk to their personal privacy is worth posting memes and watching cat videos.
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