Facebook Is Using You Summary

This is a critical review of “Facebook is Using You” by Lori Andrews. In the article, the author talks about the perils of our digital footprint and the vulnerability to consumers as others use our “personal” (Andrews 238) information against us. Our privacy in the age of information technology seems to be an uncharted territory in the U.S., which according to the author there are no laws to protect consumers.

The author suggests that consumers take risks by sharing personal information on social media and the web in ways that seems innocuous without realizing that with every bit of information shared, giants such as Facebook and Google stand to make a profit and furthermore, others can use that information with negative consequences. Andrews

It seems that we have simply accepted that the cost of doing business is to forgo our right to our personal information. There is no doubt that a person’s digital footprint can influence their “credit” (Andrews 239) worthiness or the ability of “obtaining a job” (Andrews 239), as the author points out. She offers evidence to support her point that “employers” (Andrews 239) look at social media sites before making a hiring decision (Andrews 239). The author also talks about the perils of “aggregate data” (Andrews 239) and how credit limits can be increased or decreased based on digital footprints. She offers a good example of an individual whose credit line was downgraded after “returning from his honeymoon” (Andrews 239) purely based on the places where he shopped. Furthermore, Andrews points out the “stereotypical” (239) side of “data aggregation” (239) and the roadblocks imposed on communities. The author discusses how communities are targeted with ads based on their perceived potential in regards with geographical areas and demographics and not on based on an individual’s abilities. I find this point unsupported. While the author offered generalized information, she did not give specific examples as to where this has occurred. The