I haven't been following the whole NSA/CIA stuff as much lately, but from my understanding Google, Facebook never directly sold people's information. Yes, they monetize it I knew that but It was from my understanding companies mostly "rent" the data without getting a copy of the data(just using it).
> YMMV, but I find working for companies who's business model is to exploit other people's personal information for profit is an enormously distasteful thing to do.
For the record, I don't work for any company's that abuse people's personal information. I do have a bit of knowledge on how Facebook ads work because I've used them before.
I don't even view Google or Facebook as doing bad compared to the large data brokers.
I work in marketing. Not selling data direct to people like you or I does not mean they don't sell data. Depending on how hard you try, you can get enormously specific with just the data you are supplied by them. I perceive their business model as fundamentally bad (I would use the word wrong or repugnant), and their willingness to comply with us intelligence agencies is worse. I realize this is an increasingly uncommon sentiment in the bay, that sort of idealism died here a long time ago.
> YMMV, but I find working for companies who's business model is to exploit other people's personal information for profit is an enormously distasteful thing to do.
For the record, I don't work for any company's that abuse people's personal information. I do have a bit of knowledge on how Facebook ads work because I've used them before.
I don't even view Google or Facebook as doing bad compared to the large data brokers.