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Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

wsj.com

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Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#21

Post by btown »

121789 wrote: post #13
icinnamon wrote: post #6

Isn't their ad product already effectively charging for access to the user data? In a slightly more obfuscated way, sure, but broadly the same?

I don't think so. I think the more correct way to frame it would be that they are charging for access to the space in a user's feed. Like renting billboard space, except the user data makes it very easy to understand where you should put that billboard.

In fact, the adtech industry quite literally refers to these spaces as "inventory" - https://wiki.appnexus.com/display/adnexusdocumentation/Inven...

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#22

Post by RandomGuyDTB »

JeffreyKaine wrote: post #7

I'd actually be down with this, but only if facebook gave user's the ability to lock their own data down at fair market price. That way the user pays for a product, or decides to be the product. It's clean and cut & dry; and there wouldn't be any illusions of a "free" service.

The problem is market price would be less than a penny per megabyte of data.

EDIT: Okay, I admit I pulled this figure out of my behind but my point is data is incredibly cheap.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#23

Post by wmf »

RandomGuyDTB wrote: post #22
JeffreyKaine wrote: post #7

I'd actually be down with this, but only if facebook gave user's the ability to lock their own data down at fair market price. That way the user pays for a product, or decides to be the product. It's clean and cut & dry; and there wouldn't be any illusions of a "free" service.

The problem is market price would be less than a penny per megabyte of data. EDIT: Okay, I admit I pulled this figure out of my behind but my point is data is incredibly cheap.

Do you measure your privacy in megabytes?

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#24

Post by whatshisface »

RandomGuyDTB wrote: post #22
JeffreyKaine wrote: post #7

I'd actually be down with this, but only if facebook gave user's the ability to lock their own data down at fair market price. That way the user pays for a product, or decides to be the product. It's clean and cut & dry; and there wouldn't be any illusions of a "free" service.

The problem is market price would be less than a penny per megabyte of data. EDIT: Okay, I admit I pulled this figure out of my behind but my point is data is incredibly cheap.

Then I would have no problem paying, and Facebook would be glad to make 10x what they would have otherwise.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#25

Post by the_duke »

RandomGuyDTB wrote: post #22
JeffreyKaine wrote: post #7

I'd actually be down with this, but only if facebook gave user's the ability to lock their own data down at fair market price. That way the user pays for a product, or decides to be the product. It's clean and cut & dry; and there wouldn't be any illusions of a "free" service.

The problem is market price would be less than a penny per megabyte of data. EDIT: Okay, I admit I pulled this figure out of my behind but my point is data is incredibly cheap.

That's a completely useless metric.

200 bytes can easily contain name, adress, phone number, occupation, age and list of interests for one person.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#26

Post by ceejayoz »

jka wrote: post #17

Even if customers pay for a service, isn't it likely that eventually the service will also want to sell their data anyway in order to increase margins?

The potential reputation hit is harder to justify if you've got robust other income streams.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#28

Post by jka »

ceejayoz wrote: post #26
jka wrote: post #17

Even if customers pay for a service, isn't it likely that eventually the service will also want to sell their data anyway in order to increase margins?

The potential reputation hit is harder to justify if you've got robust other income streams.

Indeed, and that's certainly reassuring; the option may still gain traction over time though, even for the most forthright of businesses.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#29

Post by ardy42 »

hackinthebochs wrote: post #18
jonbronson wrote: post #9

The real question is, did they decide not to because they realized it was unethical? Or because they felt it was too risky to public perception?

I don't get this obsession with ethics (in terms of correct motives) from companies. Why does the thought process behind the behavior matter when it comes to a public company, over and above the behavior itself? The fact that the company is responsive to public opinion should the goal.

> I don't get this obsession with ethics (in terms of correct motives) from companies. Why does the thought process behind the behavior matter when it comes to a public company, over and above the behavior itself?

Because people want to evaluate the company's trustworthiness (or more precisely, the trustworthiness of its leaders and culture).

In this case, if they refrained from selling data due to ethical principles, you can put more trust in them, at least for a little while. If they only refrained because they didn't think they could get away with it now, they'll probably sell your data the first chance they get, so you can't trust them as much.

However, Facebook's already clearly demonstrated its' true colors many, many times, so it's kinda a waste of effort to reevaluate it.

Re: Facebook Considered Charging for Access to User Data

#30

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

wmf wrote: post #23
RandomGuyDTB wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is market price would be less than a penny per megabyte of data. EDIT: Okay, I admit I pulled this figure out of my behind but my point is data is incredibly cheap.

Do you measure your privacy in megabytes?

Maybe he has a data capped VPN? ;)
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