Anonymous. Really?

So Facebook had its IPO and Google did that way before. Of course, the core to their value is : you. The more they know about you, the higher their value. It is important to realize that Facebook and Google at present are the best in their categories. But why they are good for us, is not the same reason as why they are good for the investors. It all comes down to, who is able to seduce to tell and share as much as possible about you, your life, your friends. Getting insight into your past, present and future, is what makes them strong.

And they develop tools to get all kinds of information from you. Google right now is still leading. As they know more about you than Facebook. Because on Facebook you can still try to play with privacy and create an image of yourself that you find acceptable. You can manipulate. Most people don’t however. Even if they master the privacy settings of Facebook, the only way FB cannot learn from you, is making sure you do not use it. But not many people try to manipulate Google.

Who is concerned with what kind of information you are giving away by doing your searches? Not a lot of people. Maybe on Facebook you are not posting that you are looking for a new house. But Google can conclude this based on your searches and click behavior. The same goes about: you are not satisfied with your life partner, job, styling etc. Google knows way more about you than Facebook does. This might change in the future, really. Facebook will keep developing new ways to share information. At present they are not winning though.

And the sad thing is, Facebook has the media and opinion a little bit against them. A lot are scared about their privacy. So far I have not seen any protests at large against Google and how much they know about you. Simply because the media is not aware and does not think independently. Steve Faktor wrote an interesting article about this, that might help you think further.