Some days, I dream. I dream that all viruses will disappear, and at least some of the technology companies will embrace their users with (relative) honesty.
Today is not one of those days, as I have to think about it Facebook. You might not know that Apple forced iOS apps to display one notice which asks if you want it to track you around the web.
Facebook is of course unhappy with this, because it makes money by following you across the web and hopes to do so until the sun goes down.
So, as observed by former White House Chief of Staff Ashkan Soltani, Facebook is trying to scare its users into the iOS Facebook and Instagram apps.
He has posted his own little warning that aims to make iOS owners consent to monitoring. The alert is based on the huge enthusiasm of users for more personalized ads and mentions the sad reasoning that tracking is done to help small businesses in particular.
But there is a happy third message: “Help keep Facebook free.” The same threat appears to Instagram users.
Cynicism is so cold that we could admire it.
Facebook does what it knows very well: It lies and tries to make money. It is trying to make more iOS users want to keep track.
How much more honest would a relationship be if Facebook charged them products of; It would be a business like any other that offers services and gets paid. Social network users would finally become customers. They would buy the product instead of them being the product.
They will be able to wait for service, unlike news that automatically appears where convenient with algorithms. They could also understand how Facebook privacy checks really work and would require even greater simplicity in wording.
But all of the above could be another dream. Could it possibly become a reality? Does Facebook charge for its services? Do not worry Mark Zuckerberg has been very good at them for years.
He is not only worried about making money, but he is also trying to make a lot of money, which will perfectly match his selfish plans.
Yes, it is for those who are not interested in privacy but are offered simple ways to do something about it.
When someone threatens in this way, believe them. Not the threat itself, but the fact that he can become ruthless.
Zuckerberg designs for you, and in the end he will get them.
