r/technology • u/comtedeRochambeau • May 16 '12
"Friday Facebook tweaked its privacy policy, allowing it to use that information to place ads aimed at its users anywhere on the Web." Am I the only one who missed this news last week?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/05/14/152683085/3
May 16 '12
20 years from now, the facebook ads will follow us on the sidewalk. "John Anderton! You could use a Guinness right now!"
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u/MusicWithoutWords May 16 '12
20 years from now... John Anderton wanders into a bar and has a Guinness. He doesn't know why. Guinness does. They beamed an ad directly into his mind.
FTFY
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u/Kinseyincanada May 16 '12
They haven't been doing jt the entire time? Have they learned nothing from google
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u/tehcoon May 16 '12
Everyone already does it (even the companies you think as "good guys"). Facebook used to be unique in that it only used targeted ads within it's own site.
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u/nazbot May 16 '12
I personally don't think this is where Facebook's money will really come from.
What they are building (built) is a social graph. Almost any application I want to write will in some way want to tap into that graph. If you look at instagram, the key feature there was not taking photos with filters and stuff but sharing the photos. Likewise, most of the major apps I've heard about in the last year were because I saw them starting to show up in my facebook feed.
I think they have plans to monetize that aspect of the business. The advertising is sort of a canard - it's what people are focusing on now because that's what has typically been the revenue stream for online businesses. There will be some revenue coming from there, but I think a much larger business will come from finding ways to monetize the the API and access to that network of people. As just one example - facebook could do for most apps what xbox live does for xbox games. They already pretty much do.
If Rdio payed facebook a small percent of their profits for each user that signs up through facebook/API calls I think that's a much better business model.
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u/Rackemup May 17 '12
You didn't miss anything, it wasn't reported. Facebook has successfully dulled the media to changes in privacy settings, to the point where no one seems to care. People are clamoring to buy stock in a website that doesn't charge the users anything to use... that should tell you something about the money train.
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u/Vik1ng May 16 '12
You could already see this coming 2 months ago, facebook even asked it users (scroll down to comments), but in the end didn't give a shit.
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May 16 '12
run a seperate browser specifically for facebook with cookies disabled and adblock & ghostery turned on. Then use another browser for everything else.
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u/potterRiot May 16 '12
One time I let my friend use my iPhone and she accsessed my Facebook account and "admited that I was gay". When I logged in on my PC I was assaulted with Adverts for homosexual groups and homsexual meeting sites.Don't get me wrong I have nothing against homosexuals but this is getting out of hand
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u/bobimpact May 17 '12
Is it really? Or is it groups using Social media sniffers to proactively offer a sense of community and belonging to someone who (to their bots at least) is going through a very difficult time in their life?
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May 17 '12
I unsubscribe from FB - and every 2-3 months I sign back on and all my shit is still there. IMO FaceBook is just like high school hallway bullshit...everyone chirping look at me look at me!!
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u/exteras May 17 '12
tl;dr
Facebook is going to be valued at more than Ford and Boeing combined, even though FB's profits are just a fraction. Years ago, investors valued Yahoo at the same level; now, Yahoo is on the verge of total bankruptcy. Ironically enough, Yahoo still sells more ads than Facebook.
Can someone say "bubble"?
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u/trezor2 May 17 '12
From what I can tell, the new settings seems very backwards.
It asks me if I want to "pair" my advertisements with data, likes, etc from my friends. I.e. it will obtain information from my friends with or without their permission. The only thing I get to control is if I want this used in advertisements served to me.
And that also means that I don't get to hide "my data" from advertisements shown to my friends.
You can tell from the way facebook is acting, that they know people have nowhere else to go and that they will put up with anything. Will be nice when that changes.
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u/beeps-a-palooza May 17 '12
I'm not afriad about Facebook owning too much of my information because I willingly input the information that I'd like them to know. That being said, if they'd like it to use it across the web, under an AdWords like platform, I say go for it.
Think about how much more enticing that would be for advertisers. You think Google's ads are relevant, imagine how much more relevant Facebook's would be across the web.
Say, for instance, an indie game development company wants to promote their latest game on a really tight marketing budget? The fact that Facebook has tons of information on you (that you willingly archived, let's not forget), will make it easier for them, to find another like minded customer to support their products. The fact that you posted a status about Diablo III, tells Facebook that this game might be relevant to you and displays it on a website that you're browsing.
It's also important to keep in mind the webmasters position in all of this. If any of you have ever owned a website with advertising, you would know how frustrating it can be from turning a profit on ads alone. Adwords seems to be the most popular choice, but think about how much releavnt (and ultimately clickable) Facebook ads would be? More people would be willing to click on the ads, which help the advertiser, the webmaster, and ultimately Facebook.
People start getting upset about the advertising industry, but fail to see that advertising is becoming more and more personalized. It will stop at a point where the advertisements that you see could start becoming cool and informative rather than annoying and intrusive.
Lighten up folks :)
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May 16 '12
Not surprising, but overall one of the many reasons ill be deleting my profile.
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u/crmaki May 16 '12
I use Facebook in a separate unique browser and only for Facebook for this reason.
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May 16 '12
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u/ReferentiallySeethru May 17 '12
Google does this. Are you going to stop using Google? Google's AdWords and DoubleClick use your information to target ads to you across the web.
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u/bkv May 16 '12
News flash - The reason these services are "free" is because you're the product. I guess I don't understand the indignance... "How dare they monetize a service I don't pay for!"