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Consumers unaware of incredible amount of data companies share with Facebook

A striking study by Consumer Reports and The Markup has unveiled the sheer magnitude of data sharing with Facebook. For the average solo Facebook user, a staggering 2,230 companies, and sometimes over 7,000, are involved in handing over personal information.

This extensive research, involving 709 volunteers over three years, revealed that an overwhelming 186,892 organizations passed data about these individuals to Facebook’s parent company, Meta.

These figures shed light on the intricate web of data sharing that Facebook is entangled in. It’s not just a handful of companies; it’s thousands, each contributing to the vast pool of information that Facebook collects.

The study highlights the depth and breadth of data exchange between companies and Facebook. For many users, the extent of this data sharing remains unseen and often unacknowledged.

This revelation brings to the forefront significant privacy concerns. With such a vast network of data sharing, the implications for individual privacy are profound and far-reaching.

Sources include: The Register Also, here is a link to the full study and the tool and remarkably, you can download the study without giving up your personal information.

 

Jim Love
Jim Love
I've been in IT and business for over 30 years. I worked my way up, literally from the mail room and I've done every job from mail clerk to CEO. Today I'm CIO and Chief Digital Officer of IT World Canada - Canada's leader in ICT publishing and digital marketing.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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