Why Change Facebook's Business Model

Introduction

The current business model at Facebook has led to a great debate worldwide being a significantly controversial issue of concern. It is very important to note that Facebook had the initial mission and function of connecting users, without the limits of geographical boundaries. However, the emergence and implementation of the monetization trends in the internet and social media have changed the mode of operation in the given communication platform. Making money has been the greatest focus of the management of facebook leading to the establishment and implementation of an effective business model, which ensures that every step while interacting with the users is beneficial (Kusyanti 634). Nevertheless, the controversial aspect of Facebook arises concerning the violation of the right to privacy which is a concern for many people, and which may make the company a less reliable medium. The business model is based on gathering and analyzing the information about the users without their knowledge, creating issues with negative impacts especially on the side of the users. While Facebook's business model has facilitated transactions among business and customers, there is a need to change it because of privacy issues.

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Malicious Actors Scrapping Almost Every Facebook User

There have been several complains among Facebook users who claim that their public profile had been scrapped. The case grows worse because the users feel that they cannot trust facebook again with their private piece of information. Kusyanti (638) felt that this is because they have been attaching the malicious act to Facebook now that the management of the organization is not willing to reveal the groups behind the issue. In spite of the numerous followers from all over the world, the organization is still not willing to investigate the reason and the force behind scrapping the user profile. The hesitance of Facebook on the issue, which rather requires efficient reaction, implies that the management is part of the problem and possibly using the outcome on commercial grounds. The worries of the users are also a current issue in the media; they feel that the company makes billions of money but are still unable to implement more strong privacy mechanisms. Consequently, the issue is believed to be as a result of the malicious business models which focus on exploiting the user privacy for their gains.

Making Money by Selling User Attention and Data to the Advertisers

Facebook has more control over the profile information of the users than the actual owners. The details about the users saved in the profiles could be some of the details for which other business organizations are searching. According to Nyoni and Mthulisi (350), this subsequently prompts Facebook to design ways of winning the attention of the users to ensure that they are always on a given page so that they stay in touch with various advertisers. On this note, Facebook plays a considerable role in between the businesspersons and the users who are treated as prospective buyers. Prints (18) added that the advertisers will also develop the ability to make follow-ups on the key information of the users as a way of determining whether they are interested in the associated business products. Facebook tend to go an extra mile by extracting private information as a way of following the user trends regarding their interest in the business. This makes privacy a great concern since the management has control on the same but uses it through exploitation.

Facebook Determines User's Preferences in News Feeds

The determination of what a facebook user can see implies some form of intrusion; though, a softer one, therefore, does not realize that their privacies ate being violated. Facebook presents new items though its algorithm of newsfeeds through which the system gets into direct contact with the personal information of the user. For example, concerning the facebook concept of news feeds, there is a lot of information that the user may know which may also have a considerable benefit to them (Prints 18). Such pieces of information may range from new post advertisements; however, there must be a particular item that facebook will specify for a given user. On this note, Facebook must have inquired and intruded into one's privacy and known what they are always interested in knowing, therefore, will always strive to provide related news.

Besides, Facebook uses this as a strategy through which they get new sensitive details from the user. F or instance, some advertisements in which a user may be interested in knowing may lead to the feeding of information from a user as a form of response towards the advertisement. According to Nyoni and Mthulisi (350), the Facebook system is very intelligent and will always guarantee only what will appeal to one's interest. Subsequently, Facebook gets the information directly as one enters them and in the process, violating privacy requirements over which the user has limited control. This has been the reason for which Facebook will continuously direct a given user to a specific newsfeed because the dislikes and likes are known to make it easy to know the preferences. Even though it has not been very easy for the users to realize, this is a potential method of monetization as Facebook trades information to the business organizations, which are interested in the customers' profiles.

Reports From Lawsuits

There are several occasions in which Facebook has been cited for serious violations of privacy, which had been confirmed in the legal contexts. For one, there has been more than one instance in which the organization has been accused and the case presented in the law courts of California for having much focus on the user's private information than any other function. Nyoni and Mthulisi (359) felt that this occurred when facebook would steal the user's information and sell to the other organizations, which focus on data aggregation. This implied that there could have been unlimited cases which could be still hidden to the users, hence the need to call for change for the current business model.

Zuckerberg Informs Users That Privacy Is Yet to Be Achieved

Zuckerberg on several press releases and press conferences have been assuring users and the world as a whole that, one day, privacy mechanisms will be properly implemented. This confirms to the users that although the company claims they always protect the users' sensitive information, they have never achieved that (Kusyanti 635). This has significantly raised suspicion as others reflect and imagining how their data have leaked due to faulty privacy management. It is; however, important to note that the whole problem has been due to the hunger for a user's private information by Facebook.

Conclusion

Privacy ha has been a key concept in the context of Facebook; however, it appears ironical since it will be very difficult to attain. Facebook has been unable to maintain the privacy aspect concerning user information since the organization is also behind the occurrence of the problem. This results from the focus on monetizing derived from the current business model applied to make money. Consequently, Facebook is no longer a reliable social media platform, as it does not respect privacy aspects. Therefore, it has the obligation of changing its business model to a more secure one.

Works Cited

Kusyanti, Ari et al. "Information Privacy Concerns On Teens As Facebook Users In Indonesia". Procedia Computer Science, vol 124, 2017, pp. 632-638. Elsevier BV, Doi:10.1016/j.procs.2017.12.199. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.

Nyoni, Phillip, and Mthulisi Velempini. "Privacy And User Awareness On Facebook". South African Journal Of Science, vol 114, no. 5/6, 2018. Academy Of Science Of South Africa, Doi:10.17159/sajs.2018/20170103. Accessed 9 Sept 2019.

Prints, Anastasia. "Faith In Facebook: The Impact Of Recent Facebook Scandals On User Expectation Of Privacy". The Journal Of Communication And Media Studies, vol 4, no. 4, 2019, pp. 1-20. Common Ground Research Networks, Doi:10.18848/2470-9247/cgp/v04i04/1-20.