Aren’t you tired of reading about Facebook’s frequent scandals? Aren’t you dismayed by Facebook’s executives’ claims that they will do better in the future when you know that the only thing they will do better is to better hide what they and their software are really doing?

Aren’t you sick and tired of companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica working together to change your voting instincts and therefore attempt to undermine democracy in favor of Russian or other governments? Are you tired of giving away your personal information free of charge to companies that will collect that data, analyze it, compile it, and sell it to other companies for outrageous sums?

If any of this strikes you as the wrong thing to do, there is a very simple solution: let these businesses know of your displeasure.

Nothing works better at telling businesses what you think of their products and services than canceling your access to these deadbeat businesses and going elsewhere. One thing that all businesses understand clearly is declining revenue.

Luckily, it is easy to send that message.

Facebook makes most of its revenue from “taking users hostage” and then milking those online accounts of all the personal information that Facebook can obtain and then selling the information to others. Through the use of article intelligence (A.I.) and other software, Facebook can usually figure out your personal preferences, your hobbies, your political beliefs, your sexual orientation, your race, your ethnic heritage, your family’s approximate income, and where you spend your money. Of course, this information is valuable to various political parties and special interest groups.

The easiest way to stop this vacuuming of your personal information is to stop using the products that collect it:

Delete the Facebook app on your smartphone and from your computer, if you use any specialized Facebook app in place of a standard web browser.

Delete Facebook Messenger. In fact, Signal at https://signal.org/ is a better text messaging system anyway. It is private, encrypted, and it even supports text messaging, 2-way audio and 2-way video calling with no one spying on your conversations. Why would you want to use the second-best system that leaks your privacy when there is a better (free) solution available?

Delete WhatsApp, a different, but equally invasive, messaging and Voice over IP service owned by Facebook. Again, Signal at https://signal.org/ is a better text messaging system anyway. It is private, encrypted, and it even supports text messaging, 2-way audio and 2-way video calling with no one spying on your conversations. Why would you want to use the second-best system that leaks your privacy when there is a better (free) solution available?

Delete Instagram, the photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, Inc. There several alternatives that are at least as good as Instagram, maybe even better.

Yes, using Facebook and its zombie children (Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is addictive. During idle time, you are constantly subconsciously motivated to click on the Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp icons. However, addiction can be overcome and most recovering addicts soon feel much better once the monkey is off their shoulders.

You can do it now or you can do it later. I recommend NOW.

Friends don’t let friends use Facebook.

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Categories: Online Privacy & Security, Scams

1 reply ›

1. 

   John

   February 1, 2019 • 6:04 pm

   Well said!

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