Do Social Media websites only want us for our information, so they can make money from it? Yes, I'm sure they do. As it's been pointed out in the lecture, they are businesses that run on profits, not the warm-and-fuzzies they get from connecting people on the web. And to me, this is pretty valid (up to a point). They are often providing a 'free' service, with no subscription costs. These companies need to make money in order to keep running, and more-so as they grow in popularity and gain millions of members. What asset do they have in order to do this? Their members. So these Social Media websites can either open up their sites to advertisers (much like magazines do), or sell details about their members to companies e.g. marketing companies. Is this evil? Well, I don't really think it is. There has to be some reciprocation for the free services they provide. Not much in this world is free. The problems begin with deception. Social Media websites often do not make their business model transparent to the general public, instead burying it in legal garble in their 'Terms of Service'. I believe that these Social Media websites should be very clear what the price is for signing up to their services, so that each person can make an informed decision to make that agreement.
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