Facebook is in a lot of trouble. A recent scandal has revealed that the data analysis group Cambridge Analytica have been collecting personal data from the social network's users and using it to sway them politically. The firm recently bragged about using these means to get Donald Trump elected President of the United States. Yeah, great job, guys. Good one.
Harmless websites like Buzzfeed are taking a beating
Now, Facebook's policies on a number of things are changing and it's affecting businesses. Even websites that provide personality quizzes such as "Take this quiz to see if you belong on the Dark Side of the Force," or "Which character from 'Friends' are you?" are being scrutinised by Facebook, because they collect personal data from users.
Anything that collects personal data is unacceptable now, even if it only collects that data in order to tell you if you're a Rachel or a Monica.
It's getting ludicrous. So, pretty much anyone who works on the internet and provides web content is suffering from this scandal. The impact that Facebook shares have on these people's income is staggering. A handful of Facebook shares can multiply the overall number of page views by ten or even a hundred. It's ridiculous, the difference it makes.
People on Facebook see something they like and share it, and that gets it out to hundreds more people, and then they share it, and that gets it out to hundreds more people. The hive mind of Facebook is essentially what pays these people's wages, and now, thanks to Cambridge Analytica, that all has to change. So, boo-hoo, Mark Zuckerberg's shares have dropped slightly. But this affects real people who are just trying to make a living.
