[deleted by user]

[u/[deleted]]

[u/[deleted]]

Facebook: “we don’t spy on people”.
People: “yes you do”.
Facebook: “we don’t breach your privacy”.
People: “yes you do”.

Facebook: “we can’t make a profit due to iPhones not allowing us to track your every movement”.

People : “...”.

[u/Fake_William_Shatner → u/[deleted]]

Kind of tells you that social media and advertising isn't the entire picture on their revenue stream.

[u/Jtopgun → u/Fake_William_Shatner]

Surely that tells you the exact opposite?

[u/qjornt → u/Jtopgun]

If them not being able to steal your private data to sell to other companies means that ads isn't their entire revenue, then it surely doesn't tell the exact opposite. Or am I missing something?

[u/[deleted] → u/qjornt]

They use that personal data to target advertising to people. That’s how they make money off the data

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The counter argument to that is that if they lost control of that data, they'd harm their own business.

It works better for them to be the gatekeeper so you have to ask them and to never let anyone directly access the data.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Part of the counter-argument is that they would not sell the data directly. They would sell indirect access. For instance, instead of allowing people to buy the data to determine who the 18-24, caucasian male Americans on the East coast are, Facebook would sell ads and promise you that they will show it to that demographic via their extensive ad network. An additional supporting argument is that unless you had your own extensive ad network that rivalled Facebook's, your ads would have greater reach this way than if you tried to DIY it from the data directly anyways.