Facebook’s popularity as a leading social media platform is under threat because of controversies over privacy intrusions. The company’s Terms of Service (ToS) primarily cover five broad areas that include the services offered by the company and the funding sources for its operations. Other areas are the respective rights and responsibilities of the users and the company, additional provisions, and links to other potentially relevant Terms and Policies (“Terms of Service,” 2020). The additional provisions are on updating the ToS, dispute resolution, account suspension and termination, and limits on liability while other pertinent Terms and Policies cover aspects such as business use, advertising, and community standards.
According to the ToS, users grant Facebook rights to access their personal data relayed through their platforms. Accordingly, the company gathers and uses its personal data for commercial advertising purposes (“Terms of Service,” 2020). Further, Facebook is authorized to use the content users create and share, to utilize their name, profile picture, and other information for advertising purposes, and permitted to update any software users use or download. The company can also terminate and suspend user accounts deemed in violation of the terms and conditions and also retains the right to update the ToS whenever appropriate or necessary.
Users have the right to create and use the company’s platform for free as long as they agree to the prescribed personal data access and usage and adhere to the various Terms and Policies. Additionally, they retain all intellectual property rights in any content they generate and share on Facebook. The most surprising facet of the Facebook ToS is the claim that the company does not sell users’ personal data to third parties. This claim is as appalling as it is dishonest considering recent revelations of data sharing arrangements that essentially entail the same conduct the company denies vehemently (BBC News Services, 2018). Thus, it is evident that the company has not been honest with its users.
The failure to read the ToS in advance constitutes a grave oversight because I unwittingly give Facebook access to information that might have been used to not only intrude but also undermine my privacy and security. An awareness of the extent of the company’s invasion of privacy and dishonesty changes my opinion on using the platform. These revelations are indicative of the need to get appraised of the operative terms and policies in any digital platforms to avert potential privacy intrusions and misuse of personal data.
References
BBC News Service. (2018). Facebook’s data-sharing deals were exposed.
Terms of Service. (2020). Facebook.