What's on your mind? Maybe it's the latest meme you've discovered or a piece of news you would love to share. But perhaps it's what is on Facebook's mind that really matters, as David Crookes explains
Facebook has 1.39 billion users, around five times the number of people using Twitter. It is the most successful social network in the world, an essential go-to each day for the latest happenings in your friends' circles. It lets you catch up with people who may have otherwise drifted, and it allows you to become aware of news you could so easily have missed. It introduces you to perfect family lives, gives you inspiration via lots of shared peppy quotes, and it can make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
But there is an argument that Facebook isn't always quite what it seems. Facebook may want to present itself as the perfect way to hook up with friends and family, but the company is interested in far more than facilitating your online social life. The bottom line is that the company needs to make money to thrive, and there's no doubting that it's successful when it comes to revenue generation.
Here we look at how Facebook achieves its goals and at how it keeps you coming back for more. Some of these points are clearly stated in the social network's readily available terms and conditions, but others have emerged in news reports or have been gleaned through simple observations. In the majority of cases, though, the points are generally glossed over and ignored as people get on with their interactions, and certainly Facebook is not overly keen to bring attention to them.
Facebook Knows What You Use... And Where You Are
When you log on to Facebook, it collects information about your device including the operating system it uses, the hardware it's running on and its settings. It also looks for the file and software name and types, the battery and signal strength and other device identifiers. And it says it does this in order to "provide consistent Services across your devices".
That may be so, but in addition to this, Facebook learns the name of your mobile operator or internet service provider. It gets to know the browser you use, your mobile phone number, your IP address, your language and your time zone. Facebook will also gather your location. It can do this through GPS, Bluetooth and wi-fi signals, and it says it is necessary for certain features such as checking in, finding local events and seeking nearby offers.
It seems like a lot of data is being swapped in exchange for you being able to post a photo of yourself on your holidays. But Facebook does allow you to opt out. What the company is able to derive from your sessions is dependent on your permissions - so head for the privacy settings and pay around to make sure you're not giving too much away.
Facebook Decides What You See
You may think that your Facebook news feed is jam-packed with every post created by those in your Friends' list, but that is not the case. Facebook uses an algorithm to filter the status updates and page posts that you see, based on how often you interact with certain people or organisations.
To be fair, the company is entirely open about doing this: Lars Backstrom blogged about on Facebook's business pages in 2013. What it means is that the less you interact with individual posts by liking, sharing or commenting, the fewer of them you will see until they end up dropping off your timeline completely. Likewise, the more you interact with a person's posts, the greater the chance you will see more.
It makes common sense, of course. It could well be that all your friends are active on Facebook, in which case you could become overwhelmed by a sheer number of posts which would take much of your day to get through. But it can also cause some problems, forcing to you lose touch with certain individuals.
The answer is to seize some control. You can change the way Facebook presents updates by organising them in the order they were posted rather than as Top Stories, but bear in mind that after a certain period, the feed reverts back. You can also manually search for a friend and engage with a Like or comment. In doing so, that person's posts will start to work their through the filter and you will see more of them.
At the same time, there will be people on Facebook who you want to remain friends with but who tend to post uninteresting items. Just ignoring them will lead them to fall away, but if this isn't working the way you like, then you can click the downward arrow next to a post and select "I don't want to see this".
The algorithm picks up on your choice, reducing the likelihood of the post appearing on your feeds. But it affects other people's feeds too, since the network, by its nature, lumps people into groups, so the more folk who block someone's post, the less likely they will appear on anyone's feeds. Conversely, posts that are popular among many people in your network are more likely to work their way to the top of what you see.
Facebook Experiments With You
Not only does Facebook insist on filtering the posts you see, it has been conducting experiments to work out if it can manipulate the way you feel. In 2014, it emerged that Facebook had conducted a mood experiment on 689,003 news feeds two years earlier by secretly hiding what it said was a small percentage of emotional words from news feeds.
Facebook was hoping to discover how certain emotions could affect the way people interacted with a status. It found that those who saw fewer positive posts on their news feed tended to post more negative status updates. People who saw more positive posts became happier in their own interactions.
The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States and Facebook said the findings had allowed it "to improve our services and to make the content people see on Facebook as relevant and engaging as possible." But the experiment was widely slammed. Facebook was accused of emotionally manipulating users, and some critics said the move, if left unchecked, could lead to a level of "thought-control".
Yet Facebook users gave the social network permission to conduct these experiments. How? In the terms and conditions that Facebook users sign up to, there is a clause allowing the social media giant to use personal information for research, and it doesn't matter if people do not read the T&Cs before they agree: the scientists headed up by Adam Kramer were given informed consent for the study. That didn't stop an official complaint being filed by the digital rights group, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, though. It said that Facebook had flouted ethical standards that govern experiments on human subjects.
Facebook Exists To Sell Adverts
One of the reasons many believe the experiment took place was to allow Facebook to better promote the businesses that advertise on the network. Facebook makes its money from allowing other companies to plug their products or services, so it's vital that it becomes ever more efficient. By looking at how well people respond to certain words, there is every chance that an advertiser's message can be made more effective. Perhaps advertisers will one day target their products according to a person's current state-of-mind.
Currently, though, the most obvious way that Facebook targets users is via Promoted Posts. Although companies are able to create a Page on Facebook for free, Facebook's algorithms ensure firms have to hit the right spot in order to get noticed (too many blocks and not enough Likes will destroy a social campaign). A Promoted Post makes life easier. Companies pay for their exposure, and they get to take advantage of all the data you input into the site. It makes for better customer targeting, and it's why if you're single you can be encouraged to sign up to dating websites, and why if you profess to love films you can be hit with movie-related promos.
Promoted Posts are a huge success and they have helped Facebook to become a very lucrative business. Time.com reported that Facebook can make as much as $2.8 billion a quarter from users' personal information (Facebook doesn't sell your information, but it will share non-personally identifiable info that is useful for advertising campaigns). But we can put up with it because, without advertising, there would be no Facebook. It has to make its money somehow, especially if it is to remain free.
Even so, you can have some control over what adverts you do and don't want to see by tapping the drop-down menu next to a Promoted Post. Most interesting is an entry called "Why am I seeing this?". It tells you exactly why you have been targeted with a specific advert, and it serves to show how your data is being used.
For example, we decided to check out the reason why we were earmarked as a potential customer of Motivational Press, a company looking for manuscripts from budding authors. We were told it was because the advertiser wanted to "reach people aged 30 and older in the United Kingdom with the job title Journalist listed on their Profile".
It went on to explain that Facebook is always able to use information about your age, gender, location and the devices you use to access Facebook when deciding which adverts to show you." All of this can feel rather unnerving, which is why you should check out our boxout, which explains how you can alter your overall Advert Preferences to determine the way Facebook is able to use your data in the future.
Facebook Can Use Your Photos In Adverts
Facebook also has social adverts. You may have seen brands popping up on news feeds with a line that states so-and-so likes a particular company. The idea is that someone you know is effectively endorsing the firm, and this increases the likelihood that you will engage with it.
Facebook is able to link a social advert with your photo and the fact you like a company's page because, by using the service, you agree to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This specifically states, "You give us permission to use your name, profile picture, content and information in connection with commercial, sponsored or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us. This means, for example, that you permit a business or other entity to pay us to display your name and/or profile picture with your content or information, without any compensation to you. If you have selected a specific audience for your content or information, we will respect your choice when we use it."
It is possible to deactivate this by going into the Settings. Find the Privacy > Ads section and look at the permissions for Third-party Sites, and Ads and Friends. Facebook says it does not sell your information to advertisers and that your privacy settings apply to social ads. It also says only confirmed friends are able to see your actions alongside an advert. But change the permissions to 'No One' if you would prefer to opt out of the entire advertising initiative.
There is a third part to this called Ads Based on Your Use of Websites or Apps Outside of Facebook. It allows businesses and organisations to allow Facebook to show their ads to people who have used their websites or apps away from Facebook. If you go to the Amazon website, for example, a cookie would be generated that would allow Facebook to target Amazon adverts at you. To opt out of this part, you need to go to the European Digital Advertising Alliance at www.youronlinechoices.com.uk and then make your Ad choices.
Facebook Doesn't Tell You Who Is Watching
Unlike Linkedln, which can inform you of who is looking at your profile, Facebook prefers anonymity. You can view the details and posts of as many Facebook friends as you want, and they will be none the wiser, since Facebook doesn't allow people to track who is viewing a profile, and it doesn't let third-party apps figure it out either.
This move can actually be a stalker's paradise (although it's certainly not Facebook's intention to encourage such activities). A study in 2012 showed that as many as 88 % of people have checked on their former boyfriends or girlfriends on Facebook, often to scrutinise their potential replacement or to see if they're enjoying a better life. Anonymity also encourages low-level curiosity, as people check out friends of friends (or even enemies), and not being able to find out who may be looking at you is a tad unsettling.
But the anonymous nature of browsing Facebook also has another effect: it can make you paranoid. When you post something on Facebook, you often check back to see how many people have liked it. If you get one or two likes, you may feel rather dejected that you have been ignored. But how bad would you feel if Facebook told you exactly how many people had seen the post? That would give you a good indication of the percentage of people who have interacted with your post - while also showing exactly how many simply ignored it.
The bad feelings that this would generate means Facebook keeps that little titbit of information entirely to itself. After all, going along with the belief that no one actually saw your post is far more reassuring than the gnashing bitterness of knowing that everyone saw it and no one had the decency to even acknowledge it. Ignorance is quite often very blissful, although the same rule doesn't extend to advertisers. Knowing how many people saw an advertising post is crucial to their strategies.
Facebook Users Can Be Data Mined
Facebook has an advanced search engine, which makes it is possible to look for people according to their interests or details, such as whether or not they're in a relationship. Yet not only will the person involved be oblivious to this happening, it opens up the possibility of data mining.
For example, typing something as innocuous sounding as 'single women who live in London and like Britpop' will bring up a specific set of results. A data-mining organisation could unscrupulously target the person with music-related spam that directly corresponds with their area of interest, or they could look to offer dating services for their location.
The key is to always avoid giving too much information away. Certainly exclude the year of your birth, your phone number, home address and any work-related information that could be used by competitors. And bear in mind that you don't have to be friends with someone in order for your data to be found and used by them. As always, those privacy settings can be your best pal.
Facebook Users Are A Target For Spy Agencies
Together with Google, YouTube and Twitter, Facebook is a spy's favourite. Never before have so many people willingly given away so much about themselves. Last year, documents said to have been provided by Edward Snowden showed GCHQ had software designed to search for private Facebook pictures. And because the likes of Facebook are based overseas, the UK government has claimed it can justify mass surveillance by classifying posts on social networks as "external communications". This isn't a fault of Facebook, which has tried to persuade the agencies to put a stop to the practice, but it has put some people off from using the site.
Facebook Hides Who Unfriends You
For a network that is about sharing information, Facebook doesn't half like to keep some things secret. It certainly doesn't like to tell you when you've been unfriended. The only way you can figure who has suddenly decided to drop you is by looking through your list of friends for possible absentees. Another way is by going through your messages to see who has become 'Facebook User'. That means the person you have been conversing with has decided to either leave the service or distance themselves from you.
Facebook likes to be a positive service. By making you feel good, it is more likely to have you coming back for more. Being unfriended doesn't have a positive impact on your life, and it can lead to you wondering what you've done wrong. So for that reason, Facebook has decided it can better if you don't immediately find out.
Facebook Can Use Your Content
When you upload content such as videos and photos to Facebook, you agree that it can be used by the social media service on a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free worldwide licence basis. That means it could, if its wishes, allow another company or organisation to make use of your content.
Even if you decide to delete your content, it can still be used if you had decided to share it with others. The Facebook licence will only end when those people delete the content too. For example, that group photo of you and your friends that is full of tags will be usable by Facebook until everyone associated with it breaks their tie. This protects other people from having content whipped away from their accounts, but it does mean that content you may not want on Facebook will remain there if someone is being awkward and refuses to disassociate themselves from it.
Facebook Can Take Your Suggestions And Make Money From Them
If you have a belting idea to make Facebook better and you give the company feedback, it may not pay you if it decides to run with it. It justifies this by saying that you were under no obligation to offer feedback or other suggestions, so it is under no obligation to compensate you. That does sound fair enough, and it covers the service from multiple claims to the same idea, but it may well make some wary about allowing Facebook to profit from their clever brainwaves.
Facebook Will Charge You If You Get Into Trouble
Facebook wants people to behave themselves when using its service, and rightly so. To that end, it ensures that it has covered itself against any possible legal action. If someone was to bring a claim against Facebook because of your actions or because of something you have posted, then you agree to indemnify it against damages, losses and expenses. It clearly states, "we are not responsible for the conduct, whether online of offline, of any user of Facebook."
This is, to be fair, a standard clause for many of these kinds of services, otherwise they would be opening themselves up to all sorts of problems. But it is always worth bearing in mind that there are repercussions and that Facebook won't look to bail you out.
Facebook Can Give You A Virus
Although the company doesn't make a big fuss about it, it is, commendably, actively trying to clamp down on scams and cybercrime. It has set up a site called ThreatExchange, which has partnered with other internet firms including Dropbox, Pinterest, Twitter and Yahoo. Security experts are able to use it to share information about the latest threats in the hope that malware and phishing attempts are quickly halted.
The risk of getting a virus from Facebook is relatively low given the large user base, but because it's so easy for people to post links to external websites, the threat is always there. Facebook does have a security page at facebook.com/security that is worth checking out, giving you tips on how to protect your account and possible emerging threats.
Time To Quit Facebook?
So with all that in mind, should you be reaching for the quit button to leave Facebook? Most likely not. For all of its faults, Facebook remains a very usable and fun social network that is about as engrained in our lives as any technology could be. Besides, leaving isn't that easy. Not only do those who quit often feel compelled to return at some point, merely deactivating a Facebook account means the company retains your data so you can easily come back and pick up where you left off just by logging in again. There can be an overwhelming desire to plunge in again.
Instead, it's probably better to change the way you use it and to refrain from giving too much information away. You should go through every part of your Privacy settings and tailor Facebook to suit you. You should also work out what you want to see and what you don't and alter your habits to suit by interacting or telling Facebook to ignore certain posters. But above all, you should give the terms and conditions a full read, never post anything that could get you into trouble, and always bear in mind that someone, somewhere could be watching you whether it's a friend, foe, advertiser or GCHQ.