Recently the eyes of the world fell like an exploding nova on Facebook concerning its privacy policies and the release of private information. This has led to a wave of hysteria concerning how private companies acquire and use information that is ostensibility private. What is surprising is that the collection and selling of private information has been going on for years, and until now has been virtually ignored. Over the years I have posted my concerns. I have several pre-Facebook kerfuffle posts concerning how companies abuse privacy and sell your personal data. So why has this seemingly neglected issue of privacy all of a sudden exploded into a hysterical cause célèbre?
When a relatively unknown issue explodes into the public consciousness with extreme outrage and vehemence, there is usually a trigger. A black swan event occurred arising out of the use of Facebook's data by Cambridge Analytica by the Trump campaign.
Time for the tinfoil hat. A large percentage of the media and Democrats are vehemently, to the point of irrationality, anti-Trump and suffer from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). The media and the Democrats upon hearing of the apparent data abuse by Cambridge Analytica began salivating at how this disclosure could be used to bring an end to the Trump administration. So the media and Democratic war drums began to beat ever more loudly and intensely.
As an ironic aside and as an example of duplicity. When the Obama campaign used social media to enhance its campaign, this was considered "innovative", "brilliant", etc. The Trump campaign, seeing the success of the Obama campaign, copied the use of social media. Now the use of social media information is considered "criminal", "a violation of privacy", etc.
The Facebook kerfuffle finally highlights the abuse of personal information by private companies into the public's consciousness. But that is not is not the real reason for why this issue is being discussed. It is an incidental tool being used by some to manipulate the mob (public) and to bring down the Trump administration. As such this kerfuffle is a "nothing burger". Nevertheless, for now the issue is similar to exploding nova were the incidental public outrage could result in private companies implementing better privacy policies.
Perhaps too soon to tell. A lot will depend on whether a new cause célèbre will soon be hatched to replace the transient Facebook kerfuffle. In any event, private companies will hopefully view this "nova" as a wake-up call and revise their privacy policies to be more cognizant of their customers rights.
