Facebook says it will stop tracking its users’ locations and delete their history. That’s a big deal for privacy advocates, Facebook addicts and everyone else. This news was reported in a May 9, 2022, story at fastcompany.com, and it sounds promising.
You may have received a rather subtle message from Facebook on this announcement via its in-app prompts. Then again, if you are like me, you probably missed it. Facebook says it will stop recording location data in the background on May 31. After Aug. 1, the company says it will delete the location history. The fastcompany.com article quotes a company spokesperson who said Facebook was turning off these features “due to low usage.” Sure.
One of three things has likely happened. Facebook may have had its hands slapped by regulators and is getting ahead of the game. Or Facebook found other ways to track its users’ data and simply doesn’t need this system anymore. Or Mark Zuckerberg and company really are concerned about our privacy. I am guessing it is one of the first two.
Unfortunately, the problem goes beyond Facebook. A third-party issue is also at play, as reported in the story. Smaller data brokers gather demographic data by embedding their code in mobile apps like Facebook. Even wireless carriers store records of your travels for up to five years and have been caught selling this information to data brokers.
Many of you say you have nothing to hide, and you don’t have a problem with Facebook or others tracking or selling your location data. What you may not know is how much private data can be derived from location trackers. Just ask employees of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies who buy location data and use it to avoid due-process requirements, or the people whose rights have been violated by this.
Maybe you don’t break the law. OK. How often do you visit a bar? A fast food restaurant? A strip club? Planned Parenthood? How would you feel about that data being linked directly to you and being sold to the highest bidders who then target you? Let’s hope Congress will soon pass a law to ban this overreaching surveillance. Some progress is being made, but not enough.
I appreciate what Apple and Google have done to allow users to stop apps from tracking their location and limiting access. Maybe Facebook is simply following suit. Maybe. Even so, we shouldn’t have to disallow this because it shouldn’t be allowed in the first place.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting. Fox News reports a new poll that found an overwhelming majority of likely Republican primary voters say Congress has not done enough to regulate Big Tech companies, and the GOP base largely wants federal lawmakers to rein in tech giants and even break them up. We are getting closer.
Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
