Online privacy means a lot to us, but for a majority of us, it’s only important when we know our privacy has been invaded. In social networks and social media, every time we join a new shiny network, or register for something online, we give up a little piece of our privacy, like a sculptor chipping away at a piece of marble. Sometimes knowingly, sometimes not, we’re giving up who we are to marketers and brands.
You see, every time we create a profile we are allowing someone to glimpse a little bit more about us than most might really be comfortable with; but we do it because that’s what’s asked or required of us in order to “play”; and like I said, some of you might not even know it. Some of you might not care, because hey, “we’re living in the age of uber transparency”!
Yes we have a right to know what information is being gathered about us, how it is used and whether it is gathered at all, yet most of us are too busy trying to get on the other side of an app to be bothered with reading a EULA or a TOS agreement. Why is that?
I have a feeling that the reason is similar to when you are hearing a radio spot and at the very end of the spot you’ll hear a guy talking so fast, you have no idea what he just said, so you ignore it, Because all you really care about is the deal that was mentioned in front of the fast talking man-The carrot, the offer, the opportunity. Privacy be damned. Most marketers and companies assume correctly that making the TOS’s and EULA’s so ridiculously convoluted, that we as consumers will just get tired of reading and will click the agree button. And the devil…is buried in the details.
Facebook did the same thing when it came to compromising our privacy the first time. How many times has it changed it’s privacy policy? Most of the 500 million users probably don’t care what is happening to their data-and that’s a scary thought; but enough of them care to call Facebook out for assuming that we are ready to alter our perception of what is acceptable in data mining- and thus we’ve able to somewhat keep them in check. I am still not comfortable about the purported data leaks, or satisfied that Facebook is doing all it can to value my privacy, but then again it’s a 1000 times better than it initially was.
So let me ask you something. As we head into 2011, are you cool with giving up snippets of your personal data for the sake of playing Farmville? Or being part of Groupon? or Foursquare?Are you comfortable with that? Are you truly prepared for radical transparency? I’m not sure I am just yet.
Direct Marketing Observations 
The easy to share & spread information online is the main reason for the tremendous growth in the social media sites. It will be strange to us when we see our private information is shared on strangers,third parties! I think Facebook has been far ahead in controlling the privacy than it was earlier. However, the choice to share a link that has a global popularity will automatically leads our profile linked to the link’s fan-page and the content we put inside Interests/Likes in our profile page also drags our details without our control are some of the privacy control issues it has to overcome.
@Mark that was hard to follow, but I get what you’re saying and to be honest, that already has or is happening
Not ready to share private data … huh. Could it be that as you describe it, it is done in the dark of digital-back-alleys? And what about what value you get by passing by the alleys? Unless today’s social media find ways of delivering value that more than balances the risks of disclosure, they will be replaced by higher value services that provide a better value equation. Facebook, without a huge up-take on value to the eyeballs, is at risk of becoming the AOL of social-media.
@Robert that is a very valid point and concern…Though at the moment, I can’t picture a better Facebook, though I know one lurks.
Since I posted this, Louis Gray (no relation, though I do know him fro a common former lifetime) in his blog has called for more “value” from apps..he requesting a “value bubble.” If you want to get a conceptualization of a “better Facebook,” think “community” and think “existing affiliations.” A lot might become clear…or not.