Why do companies such as Facebook and Google share data? We have to remember that Facebook and Google offer their services for free to hundreds of thousands of users all around the world. One way to make profit and not having to charge a fee to users is trough advertisement in their web pages. It is a fact that this two companies share user data with marketing companies creating a new way of target customers. It is easier and more accurate to discover customers taste and interest by analyzing what they do on the web and what online pages they spend most of the time. Marketers can rapidly create a profile of a specific market by knowing what they “like” on Facebook, what they research on Google, or what videos they look at YouTube.
At the end of 2011, The Federal Commission ruled that Facebook and Google had unfair and deceptive practices regarding privacy user data: they changed privacy defaults and made private information public without notifying users. Facebook has changed their privacy settings many times using a very difficult language for users to understand how these changes allow the company to sell information to third party advertising companies (If you want to read the complaint click here http://ftc.gov/os/caselist/0923184/111129facebookcmpt.pdf ). This is the main reason for the changes we can see now on Facebook and Google privacy settings; every time you open Google you will find pop up explaining how they are changing their privacy settings. In reality, these companies will keep doing the same they were doing before because they need it to stay in business but know users are more aware about their data sharing policies.
There are few things internet users can do to prevent personal information to be share. One recommendation is to turn on the cookies notices will alert you when a cookie is being place and the ability to block it. Also,use a different email account for social networking sites from the one used for personal information. Change passwords constantly, do not set easy security questions with answers available in social networking sites, and always clear the history after using a public computer. But the most important social networking users have to do to prevent data sharing is always read privacy policies before accepting them.
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