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| Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook |
On December 17th, Facebook claimed that they can, and do, track users’ locations even when their location services privacy is turned off. Their claims follow a federal inquiry in which two senators, Sen. Josh Hawley R-Mo. and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., had requested that Facebook would follow the privacy policy. They requested that Facebook would “respect” their users’ decision when they ask to keep their locations private. Sounds like a pretty reasonable request right? Not for The Zuck. Facebook went on to admit that when users turn off location tracking, Facebook analysts still have various ways to monitor users’ locations. They explained that They possess the ability to “estimate users’ locations used to target ads even when they’ve chosen to reject location tracking through their smartphone’s operating system.” It already sounds like a violation of privacy based on their claims, but Lawmakers still weren’t convinced. When asked how Facebook could estimate users’ locations, the inquiry revealed that Facebook would use context clues like locations they tag in photos and even their devices’ IP addresses. No biggie. Just tracking and monitoring your phone’s IP address even when precautions have been taken.
These claims come over a year after a scandal that revealed that Cambridge Analytica had harvested the personal data of millions of peoples' Facebook profiles without their consent and used it for political advertising purposes.
Facebook has a history of privacy violations that led to the inquiry. Facebook admitted that they utilize this information that is collected against users’ will to target ads based on their location and general vicinity even when not on Facebook.
Senator Hawley, a regular tech critic, expresses the essence of the findings perfectly: “Turn off ‘location services’ and they’ll STILL track your location to make money. No opting out. No control over your personal information. That’s Big Tech. And that’s why Congress needs to take action.”
1). Following the Facebook Scandal of 2018, Zuckerberg has claimed that “users are in control of their own privacy, does this claim still hold up to you following the revelations of the recent Senate inquiry? Does “estimations” of location count as a privacy violation?
2). Since the data collected is not being sold to companies for money like in 2018 and is sully being used to create targeted ads, do you think legal action needs to be implemented still?
2a - longer question, read context). Due to the tech world itself being a new development, more specifically the ability to collect data seamlessly and unknowingly, there are not many precedents or pre-existing federal laws to be utilized when arguing over the ambiguity of tech privacy like this senate inquiry. If you were a current congressperson or justice, what pre-existing laws, amendments, protections, clauses or more that we have studied could argue Facebook's data collection a violation of privacy and freedom?
I think that even estimating your location based on your IP Address and recent posts, is in violation of privacy because you are having your discretion to share your location taken away from you. I believe that using a person's location is against the Fourth Amendment which protects people from unwarranted search and seizure. I believe that if you click do not allow when they are asking if you would like to share your location, that should be respected if there is no obvious reason to look at it. Facebook is using this power for their own gain, and is not providing the public with any gain. For these reasons, I believe that Facebook is violating privacy.
ReplyDelete2. Even though personal data is not being sold, I still think that Facebook should be reprimanded for it. By using location even when off is still a violation of privacy, and even if the data is not sold the companies are still profiting off their adds being targeted to people. Facebook has now been accused of breaking more or less the same law, and do not seem to care about the repercussions. I believe that the government should be harsher with how the deal with Facebook and the shenanigans they get away with.
ReplyDelete1. I believe that after the recent revelations related to Facebook, users are no longer in control of their own privacy. Estimating your location is still a violation of privacy. If you have your location turned off, it is clear that you don’t want anyone knowing where you are. If they are taking steps to figure out where you are against your wishes, to me that is clearly a violation of privacy. They are also using this power at least partially for monetary gain, so they have incentive to do it.
ReplyDelete2. While the data that Facebook collects isn't being sold to companies for money, they are still interfering with individual's private sphere. The method Facebook is using to create the target ads is immoral and unnecessary. Even when people request that their location is kept private, Facebook anaylsts are failing to acknowledge people's desires. While target ads are less of a violation than selling information to companies, there is still an invasion of privacy which should be addressed.
ReplyDelete1. I believe that estimation of location is a violation of privacy. The definition of privacy is defined as: "the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people." Estimating where someone is at all times clearly violates this definition. Furthermore, this privacy violation is without the consent of the individual, who really has no choice whether or not they want Facebook to know their location.
ReplyDelete1. Estimating location is still an invasion of privacy because users believe that there is no way for their location to be monitored. They are unaware of the fact that facebook is still searching for their locations, which violates privacy even if it is just an estimate. After this revelation, it appears as though the only way people have control over their privacy is to be completely disconnected from social media or any technology that could require information about your location.
ReplyDelete3. I think that further legal action needs to be implemented. Facebook was ordered by the government to end their behavior and they continued. If this is not punished then the precedent will be set that this is an ok thing for large companies to do.
ReplyDeleteGoing through your IP address and your private business is definitely an issue concerning privacy and violating of the First Amendment. I do not think that Facebook should be allowed to do, whatever their reasons are. Technology is invading our lives and this will just reinforce it.
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