We've probably all done a Facebook quiz. But, are they safe?
The Better Business Bureau is reminding people that what you share online can be used for illegal or unethical reasons.
The subject has been a hot topic in the news recently. Mainly due to the allegations that a company called Cambridge Analytica mined personal information from more than 50 million Facebook users.
In light of that, the BBB is reminding consumers to be careful about what they share.
Adrienne Wallace teaches advertising and public relations at Grand Valley State University says, "You have to understand how Apps and quizzes work--by harvesting data. Not by what you put in, but what it's taking from your and your friend's profile."
The quizzes typically ask silly or useless questions. By simply liking or commenting on a post, a third party can gather information about your shopping habits or political stance. "To create a psychological profile or an ad profile to better target audiences with messaging. That's what the nature of this whole scandal is," says Wallace.
There are steps you can take to protect your social accounts:
- On Facebook, go into the upper right and click the drag down menu.
- Go to settings.
- Make sure you limit personal information like birth dates, addresses, and phone numbers.
- Then, you can click on Ads or Apps and edit what information you don't want shared.
Wallace says it’s impossible to avoid it all. "You still do online banking, you still do searches online, on a web browser. We’re open in a lot of areas, but if your conscientious about it, you're probably going to be ok."
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