The recently published warnings of the new Facebook terms of use have sent ripples across social media users everywhere.
While some conspiracy theorists have alleged that the terms, due to come into practice on 1st January, will help the company give our personal details to the US government, the document states that the new rules could in fact see our choices passed onto marketers.
For example, providing that users give their consent, the social network will be able to track its users using the global positioning system on their smartphones, as well as anywhere that is connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth zones. The tracking will then be used to target location-specific advertisements to the user, providing a more streamlined advertising service and helping to increase the profit margins for Facebook.
This is a somewhat frightening and yet very shrewd move for the multi-billion dollar company. Indeed, users are given the choice to ‘opt out’ of the tracking, but, as the company has acknowledged itself, few people read endlessly long documents outlining renewed terms and conditions.
So just how exactly is Facebook using our details, other than our location? One of the most instrumental tools for targeted Facebook advertising is the groups function, in which people can get together and voice their opinions over the latest trend – for example, a popular television show. By using tracking cookies, Facebook can keep an eye on what is being discussed and in turn tailor the sidebar adverts.
This is particularly notable for the bookmaking market. For example, reality TV betting has seen an exponential rise in popularity in recent years, and as such adverts and offers on the Facebook sidebar are affected by this. So if a group of Facebook users are discussing who their favourites are on The X Factor, for example, bookmakers could become savvy to this information and post their odds as advertisements on the page.
Likewise, in the gambling world, online casinos have also begun advertising on social media, which is in turn steered by social media trends. For example, a user who has expressed a penchant for online roulette might see an advert placed by http://www.gamingclub.com/nz/online-roulette and be inclined to click, or indeed, in this day and age, tap.
So should we be worried about how our social media actions are affecting marketers? There is no immediate threat to our privacy, however the threat of spam potentially causing a nuisance is something to consider. If you’re not keen on being told how to shop, make sure you say ‘no’ to the new conditions before 1st January.
