Some weeks ago (mid March), a certain Christopher Wylie shared "classified" information with some big newspapers about what is now considered an international scandal involving very popular social media giant, Facebook. Wylie being a cofounder of Cambridge Analytica, the firm alleged to have acquired millions of data from Facebook and accused of using the said data to manipulate results of elections around the world (including Brexit and the US elections) is serving as a whistle blower in the case that is yet to be unraveled because of the "technicalities" involved. At the wake of this scandal, every other country in the world is asking questions as to what role this company had on their elections and decision making? What level of data does the firm have and control? How circumstantial are the data they have? What else can they do with it? and most importantly, how did they lay their hands on such data?
Now, if my local adage serves me right, there is a saying that says "thief wey dem catch na him be thief" meaning the one caught is the criminal, every other criminal is not guilty because they are smart enough to escape being caught, with this in mind, I ask only one question, How many other "Cambridge Analytica" are out there "acquiring" data from the numerous social media sites we have, to use for whatever purpose they deem fit? Your guess is as good as mine, a lot.
What is so important about personal data that is almost crumbling a multi-billion dollar business empire by the way? And how do they get that? That is a question I wish you can answer after reading this. You see, every age has a central and basic currency around which every other currency revolves, at one point it was raw salt, then it moved to cowries, then it became oil and very recently it switched to information and data, hence the mass coverage of this scandal. Those that know the value of such currency will do anything to get and keep it (we can only just imagine how much money they are willing to part with just to do that). I mean, if such information will make me the most powerful man on earth, then what do you think I would do? Take the deal of course.
So the next question is how does the social media sites get this data that are "acquired"? Definitely from us the users. The bits of personal information we divulge on daily basis collectively forms the basic data needed about us, it may take years to gather but gradually, pixel by pixel, the complete picture is formed and ready to be "acquired" by a certain "Cambridge Analytica". I will not have time to explain what Mark Zukerberg had to say about the Privacy policy of Facebook but I suggest you go read and understand what it means. All I am trying to point out here is we are the ones that give out this much about ourselves. By all means be yourself, travel, go on dates, breakup, make up, get married, give birth to wonderful and beautiful kids and enjoy all the wonderful things life has in stock for you but don't forget the Christopher Wylie's around us.
I went to buy some things recently and saw this beautiful purse I thought my mum will love, I asked for the price and the lady was like "you want to buy it for someone?" and I innocently replied "Yes, my Mum", as I was taking a picture of the purse I overheard her tell the her coworkers (in a local language) that I was stupid to tell her I was getting the purse for my mum, when she knows its for my girlfriend. I kept mute, paid my bills and left because I knew I gave out too much information...
Learn to know when to stop giving out too much.
Image Courtesy: Google Images
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