Facebook Beacon
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook.
Facebook Facts:
- ~350 emloyees
- Estimated Revenue was $100 for 2006.
- Founded in Febuary 2004
- Mark Zuckerberg only 23
- 13+
- >50,000,000 members
Facebook Beacon
The Concept
- Advertising initiative, launched Nov 7th 2007.
- To share chosen information about their activities among the facebook friends.
- Information taken from partner shopping sites is stored and used in advertisments.
Examples: Fandango.com, Overstock.com and Blockbuster.
The Complaints
- More than 50,000 Facebook users signed a petition calling on the company to alter or abandon its Beacon advertising technology.- Opt out>Opt in
- The UK’s National Consumer Council (NCC) has warned that children need to be better protected from “opaque commercial practices” on some of the most popular websites. [1]
The Apology
“We’ve made a lot of mistakes building this feature”
“We simply did a bad job with this release, and I apologise for it.”
He added: “I’m not proud of the way we’ve handled this situation and I know we can do better.” [1]
Not over yet
- Concerns over “web montoring”.
- Increased concern over internet advertising concerning children.
- “The changes to Beacon may not be the last that Facebook has to make to the technology.
Two rights groups, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy, are believed to be compiling a complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission about it.” [2]
