In this course, we have learned about the (sometimes surprising) extent of Facebook’s data collection.  The company keeps exhaustive files on every user that include deleted messages, and it stored all photos even from deactivated accounts.  It also allows third party applications to have access to information on our accounts and our friends’ accounts.

The last way it uses our information is for advertisement profiling.  This is an aspect of Facebook’s data collection that, while concerning to some users, seems to be well within the ethical realm of what Facebook can do with our data.  After all, Facebook is a business, and its goal is to make money.  Nobody can blame them for trying to maximize the ad potential by profiling users.  It can also lead to a better user experience – a targeted ad has a much higher potential to be of use to users.

Yet recently, Facebook may have crossed a line with its profiling.  It is unclear at this point, but it may have extended from giving information to applications and advertisers to providing insurance companies with data that could actually be detrimental to one’s insurance rates.  For example, people who “like” motorcycles or are friends with people who sky dive could be deemed higher risk.

Even if Facebook is not specifically providing insurance companies with this data, the companies are using data mining services to get information on people through their Facebook profiles.  This way, crosschecking applications with profiles is made simple, as algorithms can do all of the work.  They can also assign “scores” to mass amounts of people based on their likes and posts.  Just last year, a woman’s sick leave benefits were cut after her insurance company claimed she was not depressed due to pictures of her “having a good time” were posted on Facebook.  If Facebook is not working with the insurance companies, it is unclear how they are gaining access to private posts.

I think this use of Facebook data is completely unreasonable and should not be allowed.  It crosses from manipulating the user experience of Facebook into an invasion of people’s real lives. If Facebook is indeed providing information to insurance companies, I foresee an extremely negative impact on Facebook’s reputation.  Not only would I expect court cases and a potential investigation by the FTC, but also a change in people’s use of Facebook and their perception of this social media network.  People have known for a while it may not be a safe space for pictures of partying or inappropriate behavior, but if Facebook is no longer a safe space for even expressing acceptable interests and activities, it will fall a long way.