In Eran Fisher’s article “Class
struggles in the digital frontier: audience labour theory and social media
users” he talks about how we as social media users are immaterial labourers.
The difference between material labourer and immaterial labour is that with
immaterial labour there are no physical substance involved. The labour that we
do is with our minds and intellect. We
are considered immaterial labourers because by using social media we give
information to the host whether it be facebook, twitter etc. By every like,
every comment, and every interaction we do on social media they are able to
keep track of this information and sell it to other companies that will use
this to target their advertisements at us.
Fisher talks about a lawsuit case
that happened in 2013 where facebook started releasing Sponsored Stories
advertisements. These advertisements were made to look like a specific person
on your contact list was advertising it. People thought it was unfair that they
were self-marketing to their friends but not getting any payment from facebook.
Facebook agreed upon a $20 million settlement.
Here is a link if you want to
read more about the lawsuit:
Facebook stopped using Sponsored
Stories but they still track your likes and everything that you do. I believe
that it is wrong for facebook to manipulate you to look like you were
advertising a product. However, I think it is fair for them to take your data
as a whole because they provide us with a service.
My question to you is do you
think it is fair that facebook keeps a track of all your data and sells it to
advertisers? And my second question is “Have you ever seen advertisements that
were a weird coincidence? For example, if you were looking to buy a purse so
you were just shopping around and the next day you seen a bunch of purse
advertisements on the side of your facebook?
Often we do not think of Facebook keeping track of all of our data that we produce while using the platform. To a point, I do think it is fair. Ultimately, individuals sign up as “conscious” users knowing what Facebook consists of. When a user signs up for Facebook they give up the "right" of the information they produce. I highly doubt anyone really goes through the “terms and conditions” but fully knowing that “our” information is not really ours once we put it on the Internet. Though we produce this information as Fisher suggests we are “immaterial labourers”, we create information with our minds and intellect that is no true physical substance we do this unconsciously without keeping track. However, when signing up and using Facebook we are aware that we are active on the platform. As you mentioned the lawsuit that occurred in 2013, this was interesting as it is almost a manufactured advertisement. In this case, I do not think its very fair to do such a thing but it is a strategic use of the information at hand. To answer your second question, I actually have seen advertisements on Facebook of items I was searching on the Internet. At first I found it funny like “oh wow I was just looking at this” but eventually it became apparent that my information was obviously being monitored. Overall, I think it is interesting how we are users of social media, we are aware that we "produce" information is being sold and we are not profiting off of it. From a young age, my parents always told me that everything I “post” on the Internet was something everyone else has access to so I should always be selective. Do you think that younger generations and their parents really consider how accessible their information is? I believe that our society become “numb” to the fact that we produce information and it becomes a “commodity” yet we do not benefit at all from the process minus the fact we stay “connected” and interact with others.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading what both you and Sydney have said, I have decided I do think it is far that Facebook keeps track of all your data and sells it to advertisers. As mentioned in the link you attached, Facebook ensures that they mention the data they can access after you can create your account and provide your information. This is our voluntary decision to become new users, we look past such aspects and continue doing simple tasks such as contributing to our time line, making specific searches, and ‘liking’ certain pictures. As users now I think we have become so accustomed to our data collection that we must learn how to use it in a way that benefits us. For example, if we are online shopping and are interested in a buying a product but refrain from buying it at that time. Facebook would accumulate this information, and re-target it back towards us later on. This could be useful if you are still pondering the purchase and want to be able to access that certain website in a moments notice. This is just one of the many examples that can be used in order to ensure ads can benefit us as users. Further, I have seen numerous of advertisements that are completely a weird coincidence. Just the other day my roommate and I were discussing a certain product and the next thing we know it had popped up on her news page on Facebook. We later questioned what else websites were monitoring or even had access to!
ReplyDeleteUpon discussion of this topic I had done further research and I found this website that tells users “15 ways to optimize Facebook ads”. It tells Facebook users how they can alter their own setting so that ads can be tailored to their needs, and even so far as the availability of ads based on what device they were using. Here is the link in case anyone wants to utilize this,
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/optimize-your-facebook-ads/
Great question, Rena.
ReplyDeleteI do think it is a lot for Facebook to keep track of all our data, but I do think it is a trade off we have to accept for using Facebook for free. We are constantly using this social media platform, and it has over a billion users. So, in order for it to run for free, I think it’s a fair trade off to give their advertisers something in return. We are choosing to put that information out there- no one is forcing us to. We also understand that whatever we put on the internet stays there forever. Therefore, I think it is just, even if I don’t fully agree with it.
Next, I always see advertisements on Facebook after I’m doing online shopping, and I think it’s so strange. I know why it’s there, but it still makes me question for a minute if it’s safe to be sharing so much information online, like my shipping address, or pictures from my trips. It worries me when I put information online like this when it involves somewhere I’m going or where I live. For example, if I’m looking at flights online, for the week, everything on Facebook and YouTube will be in relation to my trip, in regards to flights, accommodations, and things to do in that city. I think we just need to be mindful of what is online, and if we’re okay with sharing, we cannot worry too much.
1. I think that the fairness of Facebook tracking of all of our data for their own benefit really depends on the perspective of the user and service provider. What I mean by that is that for us users, we might be inclined to feel “used” or “wrongfully exploited” but if you think about, we are using Facebook’s service. Our usage of this social media platform really implies that we perhaps agree with Facebook utilizing our information. This really captures Slack and Wise’s reading of Articulation and Assemblage especially with regards to the different elemental factors that Facebook introduces. We cannot see Facebook as not just a mundane online social platform but rather it affects many other users and that form what Facebook is today.
ReplyDelete2. I actually do have a funny story where I met this individual through a friend but about half an hour later, but somehow on Facebook that person whom I met appeared as “add as friend”. To be honest, I was creeped out and surprised because I have never met that person before and now Facebook was suggesting me to add them as a friend.
1. I think that it is fair that Facebook tracks our data. However, I do not agree with it. This is because we are made aware of everything they do with our information through the "terms and conditions" we are encouraged to read. Therefore, we are giving them our information readily knowing the repercussions. It is with our own consent that they are able to do what they want with our information. Thus, this concept is technically fair.
ReplyDeleteEven though it is a fair agreement, I believe that Facebook takes this too far.
2. I have had experiences where I have been online shopping and the next day the exact items I was looking at were advertised to me on Facebook. This creates issues with the concept of privacy and going too far.
Personally I do think it is fair for Facebook to use our data. We are choosing to use the service (which is free) and we are choosing to put our information out there. If we paid for the service we should pay for privacy, but because it is a free service the choice is ours to set up an account and give our information.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, every time I search a product up online I always see it on the side of a page or advertised on Facebook. In fact, the other day I was searching up jewelry on my iphone on Instagram and today an advertisement for that jewelry popped up on my computer. It was a good reminder that everything is connected and as creepy as it sounds you are always being, in a sense, "watched"
1. I do think that it is fair for Facebook to use our data because it is information that we choose to share. Facebook outlines their privacy policy, and users make the choice of sharing information about themselves online. That being said, without the context of our interactions with other Facebook users, it would be easy for Facebook to manipulate our data to market us in a way that we might not intend. I think that Facebook using our information out of context is unfair.
ReplyDelete2. For the past few months, Facebook has been showing me advertisements to book my driving test. This was after I searched up the website to book a road test in the summer and it has been months since I actually got my license. I knew that Facebook was tracking my Internet activity, because everything online is automatically connected to it, but I find it tiresome to have to see the same ad that I already responded to over and over again.