Refer to page 77 of your textbook for sts, read the article [link is attached] and answer the
questions on page 80, The questions are the following:
1. What is the data privacy scandal all about?
This new scandal involved the theft of data from half a billion of its users. The data
stolen included the users' personal data such as their birthdates, phone numbers, email
addresses, and full names. The hackers then posted the data online for people to see and use it
for free (Maina, 2021). It is a data breached in which 87 million of Facebook users was shared
to the British political consultancy Cambridge Analytical. These data might include your IP
address, your whole activity and engagement on the website and all the personal information
that you have input on that website. The data was harvested through a personality quiz on
Facebook in which almost 270,000 of people participated (paid to take) and in turn it harvested
information from your friends via your account in which it led to the breached of data of million
users with the goal of "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles. And built
models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons” said Christopher
Wylie a Cambridge analytical employee who exposes the company.
2. How does this FB privacy scandal relate to Heidegger's notion of revealing of modern
technology as challenging forth?
It relates on how Heidegger’s notion of revealing modern technology in a way how
technological advances such as Facebook is a place where revealing and un-concealment
take place and a platform to unveils truth. In an article read it states that Christopher Wylie
the whistleblower of the whole controversy said that Facebook is aware of the whole works
dated way back in 2015 and as controversy arises in 2018, they plead that everyone makes
mistake and Zuckerberg said “I think life is about learning from the mistakes and figuring out
how to move forward,” In that sense technology reveals the truth and will reveal something
beyond human control.
3. How are Facebook users enframed in this particular data privacy scandal?
A lot of Facebook users have been terrified by the thought of having your data being
breached exposing your privacy to be leaked to the public, a lot of consumers of the website
have resort to becoming extra careful and double checking everything that they share and
post on Facebook and as seen many were hesitant to participate more in the site.
4. How do you think FB can be used in a way that is more consistent in Heidegger's idea of
poises or bringing forth of technology?
Heidegger’s idea of poises believes in the notion of un-concealment of the concealed
with Facebook being one of the biggest social networking site platform they can impose
surveys along with actions that they can do, being mindful about what they post on the
internet and what to do to prevent those things can be made to “question” and if the use of
technology is just.
5. How can Heidegger's notion of questioning guide FB users towards a beneficial use of
social media?
It lessens the tendencies of people falling for misinformation, scams, and breaching
one’s data and security. It puts them into a state where they can question everything that
ought to do without just absorbing everything as is.
REFERENCES:
Maina, D. (2021, June 3). Facebook Data Privacy Scandal: Here’s What You Need To Know .
Easyllama.com; EasyLlama. https://www.easyllama.com/blog/facebook-data-privacy-
scandal#:~:text=This%20new%20scandal%20involved%20the,and%20use%20it%20for
%20free.
