Over the last two days, Mark Zuckerberg was questioned for hours on end about the user data leakage to Cambridge analytics. The data of millions of users falling into the wrong hands led to politically motivated ads to persuade users towards one of the presidential candidates or the other during the presidential campaign in 2016. This data breach has stirred public outcry for Facebook and other large social media networks to become a regulated industry.
Most of Zuckerberg’s responses over the two days of questioning fell into two categories: apologizing for giving away user’s data without their consent, and basically explaining to the elderly senators all the protections Facebook already has over user’s data. The second type of responses is funny to listen to the first few times. They are reminiscent of explaining how to help your grandmother get on the “FaceChat network.” However, after getting the laughs out the lawmakers lack on understanding of how these networks work is concerning if we are going to look to them to be the ones to regulate them.
What should be done is what was done after the financial crash of 2008. Back then Congress and the Senate were in a similar situation, they knew regulations had to be put in place, but they really didn’t understand the industry. So what did they do? They hired experts for assistance on drafting a bill. And low and behold, it worked. Regulations are in place for a crash like 2008 to hopefully never happen again, at least from the banks and in the housing market.
Congress and the Senate should follow the same strategy now. They should people with expert knowledge on how to prevent a data breach like what has happened with Facebook from ever happening again. They need people to help them sort of how exactly Facebook and other similar companies should be regulated. This is a new type of industry and right now these lawmakers are unsure of how to go about prescribing new laws for them.
Whether they understand the industry or not, they need experts for this embankment. There needs to be a new system of notifying users of how their data is being used if their data is being used how they should be compensated for it, and how to keep it all safe.
Moreover, users should be aware of targeting ads. Users should understand that all the ads they seem to come from similar ad companies. Whether it's a car ad, cleaning product, upcoming sports event, or candidate for a government position, all these ads are made by similar companies. Not the companies which are being advertised. Understanding this can make ads less powerful and therefore influential. If one becomes less influenced by ads, the danger of controlled behaviour becomes eliminated (Unlike what we saw in the 2016 election).
Facebook needs to become regulated, and it seems that Zuckerberg is on board with this. It is not solely up to the big wigs, though. Responsibility is on everyone on Facebook to understand what is going on, and how to avoid influence from corrupt companies.
