What Do Social Media Companies Know About You?

What do social media companies really know about you? It’s a fair question. And the quick answer is this: the more you use social media, the more those companies likely know. 


The moment you examine the question more closely, the answer takes on greater depth. Consider how much we use social media for things other than connecting with friends. While that was the original intent behind social networks, the role of social media has since evolved into something far more expansive. We use it to get our news, stay up to date on when artists will drop a new release, and sometimes reach out for customer service on a company’s social media page. In some cases, we use our social media accounts to log into other sites and apps or we even make payments through social media.  


Taken together, all of those likes, taps, clicks, links, and time spent reading or watching videos can add up and paint a detailed picture of who you are. 


Why are they collecting all this information? Largely, it’s for two reasons: 


1. To make improvements to their platform, by better understanding your behavior and ways you like to use their service. 


2. To create an exacting user profile that advertisers can use for targeting ads that they think will interest you. 


That’s the exchange in play here. You use the company’s social media service for free, and in return, they gain rights to gather specific information about you, which you consent to by agreeing to their terms of service. 


Let’s get into the details of what social me ..

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