Just finished reading yesterday’s article on computerworld.com…
So let me get this straight, there are a few people that don’t agree with what Mark Zuckerberg is saying with respect to people’s privacy and the importance of it on the internet.
HMM, well, last I checked, Mark was one of very few people on the planet that can actually speak from the collective consciousness of over 350M consumers and their respective choices, actions and activities.
Facebook knows more about most people than the CIA and FBI put together, and it is all information that people willingly divulge and share onto a website whose sole purpose is allowing people to connect and share information with one another.
Arguing that Mark does not know what he is talking about when it comes to privacy and what people do and do not want, is like arguing with Steve Jobs over whether or not people will like the iPhone. It has already happened. The results are in.
Of course some people will want to control the content they submit and who gains access to it… this is not the point. Zuckerberg has simply said that the control is in the hands of the users; they control their data and set their settings, Facebook will just assume that if you are posting it, unless told otherwise, you want people to see it.
Rest assured, privacy is an area that has had more discussion and thought put into it than any other area of Facebook’s developments. Mark will have had numerous Lawyers, Advisors, Thought Leaders, Accountants, Regulators, Security Agencies, etc. giving him their thoughts, advice, council and concern regarding the power of the data that Facebook is collecting. I am sure he was not walking into this conversation just ’shooting from the hip’.
Mark, if you’re reading this, I think you are doing a great job of leading the pack and taking the heat so that the rest of the industry can fall behind you as you clear the path. The world is changing as a result of social media… of this, there is no doubt. The big changes have not even begun yet and people better get used to a world that is open, transparent and connected.
This industry will change the financial markets, politics, business and economies, and it will all happen within the next 4 years. Hold on as its going to be a bumpy ride… more to come…
David Strebinger
