Facebook

Social Media or Social Engineering?

The Most Popular Social Media Site

Facebook helps users stay connected to their loved ones and up to date on world events. Founded in 2004, Facebook has become a site that cannot be overlooked.

Meta now owns the largest social media sites, including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Watch, WhatsApp, Instagram and Oculus.

Popularity Game

Facebook was one of the first social media platforms to take off, due to this, as of today the site has over 73% market share. This makes Facebook the most popular social media site, despite the younger generation choosing alternate platforms.

Scroll down to read the article on Facebook and what users should look out for when using the site!

Social Media or Social Engineering?

Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg, with the support of fellow Harvard College students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. The platform was initially intended to be limited to Harvard students, but expanded to other univerisites as it began to boom in popularity. In 2006, the site became available to anyone aged 13 and over. Facebook has over 2.8 billion monthly users and has become a necessity in many peoples lives. It is also is ranked third in global internet usage, falling behind Google and Youtube.
Initially, Facebook was created to allow users to connect with one another. This meant users nearby would be able to add each other and expand their social circle. This gradually became a worldwide phenomenon, allowing users all over the world to get in touch! This can be done by communicating on their pages, via messages and sending pictures, videos, and the ability to make voice and video calls.
Facebook has been under surveillance for a few years as they have been critisied over issues regarding data and privacy. As the site grew in popularity worldwide, the business has been able to harvest user data and this is a concern. Due to its popularity, especially in the US, this has caused issues and concerns for many users and organisations.
One of the most recent issues Facebook has faced was user personal data being collected witout their consent, in congunction with Cambridge Analytica. This was used for political advertising, with Facebook having such a wide user base, they have a unique position and this can be used to push certain agendas.
Facebook (now Meta) was also accused of conducting mass surveillance [14] through its various applications. This allowed the platform to gather information on the users, their contacts, access text messages on the device, track the users locations and access their photos. This was allegedly executed for commerical purposes. This is concerning, especially from a data and privacy stand point, as users may not want to provide this data to organisations. In order for a user to prevent this from happening, the first action is to delete all Meta apps on their device, and only access the sites via a web browser. This may prevent access to location data, photos, text messages and more. This information can still be obtained through a web browser, which is why it is vital that users pay attention to their web browser settings. More on this can be found on the web browsers section of YD&PM.
There are many settings users should keep an eye out for on Facebook, one of the most important things is to have a secure password. This will prevent the users account from being hacked. The user should also check the 'security and log in' tab, to see which devices they are logged in on. Facebook also has a security checkup that all users should perform. This will identify any flaws in their account security. Privacy focused users can also hide their personal profile information from anyone who isn't a friend, this prevents third parties learning about the user and potentially setting up fake accounts. Another key security feature is revoking permissions from apps and games, this will sever the connection, preventing the apps from consuming the users data.
Facebook uses facial recognition to identify its users across the platform, luckily this can be turned off in the settings. This is advised, as AI can learn to detect your face and this can be used for various purpouses. Finally, if you require the app on your device, it is reccomended to turn off location services on the device for the app. This will prevent the app from being able to access your location. "Checking in" at a nice restaurant is great, but this reveals your location to all your friends and also helps Facebook identify your characteristics. From a privacy standpoint, this is less than ideal as machine learning will be able to learn about a users likes and dislikes.
Ultimately, in the modern world it is hard to not have a Facebook account, as it is so widely used and beneficial for staying in touch. However, the organisation is riddled with privacy and data concerns, so it comes down to how much the user values the service. Studies have also found that the use of Meta applications have large psychological effects such as addiction and low self-esteem.
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