Facebook Shares User Data a 'Million Different Ways'
*By Britt Terrell*
Facebook may have a very different understanding of its users' privacy concerns than the millions of people whose personal information was shared with dozens of device makers as part of the social media company's efforts to spread its network.
"I think a lot of people have entered into agreements with Facebook without fully understanding the complete context of how this data can be used," said Damon Beres, executive editor at Mashable. "Facebook may say that someone signed their data rights away 10 years ago, but I don't think that anyone had the level of awareness about these privacy concerns that we have now."
[The New York Times reported](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/03/technology/facebook-device-partners-users-friends-data.html) that Facebook shared users' personal data ー and the data of those users' friends ー with dozens of device makers over the last decade. The revelation that Facebook had for years shared this information raised new privacy concerns as the company was facing greater scrutiny stemming from the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
"I think it goes to show that Facebook has permeated a lot of how we use our devices without us really thinking about it," Beres said Monday in an interview with Cheddar. "So, these problems kind of keep springing up as people have more awareness of data privacy concerns."
In response to The Times's report, Facebook's vice president of product partnerships wrote [a blog post](https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/06/why-we-disagree-with-the-nyt/) that said the revelations in the latest article are different from "past concerns about the controls over Facebook information shared with third-party app developers." That's what happened with Cambridge Analytica, a political research firm that gained access to the private data of 87 million Facebook users via a third-party app.
There were no apps a decade ago when Facebook was trying to get its network into the hands of mobile users, according to Ime Archibong, the Facebook VP, so the company relied on partnerships with device makers, including Amazon, Apple, Blackberry, HTC, Microsoft, and Samsung.
"All these partnerships were built on a common interest — the desire for people to be able to use Facebook whatever their device or operating system," Archibong wrote.
Beres said that Facebook's users may not have shared those same interests, or had the same understanding as Facebook as to how their data would be used.
"Facebook's natural defense is to be very literal, but I think we need to talk more about ethics and how people can actually naturally expect how their information is being used on these services," Beres said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebooks-privacy-problems-continue).
CES, the largest tech convention in the world, kicks off this Wednesday ending on Friday, one day earlier than originally planned. The annual event features more than 2,000 exhibitors showing off their latest tech products in Las Vegas. Richard Lawler, Senior News Editor, The Verge joined Wake Up with Cheddar to preview the large event.
Amazon employees and activists staged a worldwide strike today--calling on the tech giant to raise wages, pay more taxes and reduce its carbon footprint. The 'Make Amazon Pay' protests took place at factories, warehouses, data centers and corporate offices all around the world. Ian Sherr, Editor at Large, The Verge, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss.
Tesla posted solid delivery numbers over the last year, with deliveries surpassing over 930,000, an 87 percent jump from the same period in 2020. Anthony Sassine, CFA, Senior Investment Strategies, KraneShares joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the top EV stocks as well as how Tesla will stay relevant in the crowded space.
Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to hit the $3 trillion valuation mark after its stock price jumped to $182.86 in morning trading before slipping back just under the mark. The tech giant has tripled its worth since 2018.
There is a new player in the mobile app stock trading space.
Zingeroo recently announced a funding round of $8.5 million. The company says it aims to bring 'friendly competition' to stock trading, by literally breaking trading down into daily and weekly competitions between friends. Zingeroo also says it hopes its new approach can make trading more accessible, educational, and social than ever before. Zingeroo co-founder and CEO Zoe Barry joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
As cell carriers AT&T and Verizon planned to roll out nationwide 5G service this week, the FAA and U.S. DOT are asking the companies to pause their plans so more research can be done on the impact 5G has on aircraft technology. The companies are refusing, citing French regulations that limit wireless signals around airports while allowing research to continue. This week's launch wasn't the first time concerns have delayed 5G — last year, Airbus and Boeing express concerns, pushing the deadline into November, December, and then into this year. So what happens now — and what happens next? Will 5G roll out this year as expected? Jon Swartz, Senior Reporter at MarketWatch, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the state of the planned 5G rollout, why the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation are asking carriers to stall the launch, and more.
Tyrone Ross, CEO of Onramp Invest, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why he believes the current crypto slump is expected to persist and says that investors should be focusing more on Bitcoin's hashrate when it comes to metrics.
