Even though human beings are by far the smartest species our world has ever seen, we still can’t deem ourselves as flawless in any conceivable manner. In fact, our limitations have shown a knack of popping up on the surface time and time again, sometimes even triggering an overly negative chain reaction. Now, when you are putting up with such a sensitive dynamic, you naturally need a defensive cover. We will, on our part, find just that once we bring dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority in each and every area was a game-changer, as it made us feel more protected than ever before. However, this feeling wasn’t to last, and we are saying it all because of technology. Make no mistake, technology remains the most ingenious creation human beings have ever produced, but at the same time, we have to acknowledge the creation’s layered nature, which allowed certain people to use it for fulfilling their own ulterior motives. An example of the stated situation is clearly evident in whatever the Big Tech companies have done over the recent past, and by that, we are very much referring to their questionable practices when it comes to managing personal data and other crucial aspects. Fortunately, though, we are now finally witnessing a fight back from the regulatory community. This is backed up well by some notable changes within the tech sphere, and Meta’s recent reform might just be one of them.
Although it’s not the first time, Meta has officially announced a revised privacy policy, with the new version seemingly focused on making the policy easier to understand. Beyond that, the company also wanted to accommodate all the new products on its portfolio, therefore making sure every loose end is tied. According to certain reports, Meta will not use the latest version to establish new ways of collecting, using or sharing user data. While that certainly sounds good, John Davisson, the senior counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, pointed out how “the problem is that Facebook already funnels user data at industrial scale into a vast targeted advertising ecosystem. So the status quo is not good for privacy.”
The new policy is applicable immediately on all the Meta products except WhatsApp, Workplace, Messenger Kids, and Quest devices (ones being used without a Facebook account), as they have their own terms in place. Apart from the revision to its overall stance regarding user privacy, Meta is also launching some new Audience Controls. The alterations around here are inspired by the idea of giving more authority to the users in terms of who can see their posts.
