BUS104 - Introduction to Marketing: Social Media Data and Ethics Essay

This essay explores the complex relationship between social media users, their personal data, and marketing practices. It examines the ethical implications of users freely sharing information on social media platforms and the subsequent use of this data by companies and marketers. The essay delves into the advantages and disadvantages of social media, highlighting the potential for data misuse, security challenges, and privacy breaches. It analyzes how marketers leverage user data for targeted advertising, customer acquisition, and profit generation, while also discussing the negative consequences for consumers, such as cyberbullying and data breaches. The essay further examines the evolving attitudes toward data sharing, the importance of user awareness, and the potential role of government and legal actions in protecting consumer privacy. It emphasizes the need for social media users to be informed about data usage and to exercise caution when sharing personal information, while also acknowledging the benefits of social media for communication and business. The conclusion underscores the importance of responsible data handling and the need for a balanced approach that respects both consumer privacy and the legitimate marketing practices of businesses.

Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIA 0
Marketing

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Social media users freely give up their personal information to join social media
networks; however, afterward they are outraged when they learn that
companies/marketers are taken advantage of their data”. Discuss.
Social media is the technology that helps in sharing the thoughts, information, as well as
ideas with the help of communities and virtual networks. It is a quick way to transfer the data.
In the recent time, there are more than 3 billion users on social media. In the businesses too,
social media plays a significant role. Social media sites such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook,
as well as many other social media networks are being used these days (Asur and Huberman,
2010). There are times when some of the people that tends to skip the past filters and post the
private information. Due to the posting of personal information, person has opened the
criminal activity such as stalking, theft as well as robbery (Reich, 2015).social media has
several advantages. At the same time, it also has different disadvantages. Several frauds have
also been seen these days due to the modern technology; people are getting attracted toward
these things. It became a trend for every people to share everything on social media. They do
not know the effect of posting their information on these things. Due to the various security
challenges. people do not even come to know that their data is being used by company from
several times. When they come to know about this, the time has gone.
It is true that social media has become the essential part in the life of people. Due to this, they
freely share their information as well as important contents on the social media. When social
media share the data on social media, some of the companies or many marketers might take
the advantage of their data in a wrong way. Entities such as politician, airlines, as well as
non-profit organisational can use the data in order to find out some of the new customers.
With the help of such practices, some of the data driven technologies are producing huge
profits in several other areas. At the same time, they can also use the data against people
(Tuten and Solomon, 2017). Due to this, the data of some of the people get negatively
affected. The decisions based on the analytics as well as personal information also have
serious effects on people that can easily affect the choice of people.
Personal data collection as well as digital technology has also become the part of people’s
life. Companies have also used the codes of consumer zip in order to deciding whether to

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market or not market some of the products and services. They can also use their digital
records regarding their decisions as well as attributes in order to make those decisions. Most
of the social media has necessary information such as email address as well as birthday. It is
also used by some of the companies that are available on the different sites of social media.
site of social media also utilises the location based service as well as mobile apps that further
allows the users to check their current location. The marketers can also easily sue information
that is posed (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).
Most of the businesses also use the social media networks in order to communicate with their
clients. The negative impact of social networking is the cyber bully. In the recent time, youth
are mostly getting attracted toward the social media sites. Due to this, they post the personal
information on the social media. Several companies also found to be getting involved in the
hacking of personal information. The companies can misuse data related to the personal life.
Companies that tend to collect the data are being used. In several cases, the purpose of
collecting the data is to misuse it. Not only in case of Amazon but also in case of Facebook,
several data driven technologies are also used by the trade secrets that prevent the public
from knowing that their personal information is being used. Several companies use the data
in order to create value. At the same time, they are using the personal data in order to build
their power and wealth. When people come to know that, the companies they get shocked
have used their data. However, changes in the attitude of people have been seen related to the
data sharing. It might be possible that social media has changed the attitude toward the
sharing of personal information.
Due to such activities, it becomes essential for the people to understand all sorts of data when
they use the mobile phone and web browser. Several people do not know that their data can
be used without their knowledge. It is also true that the courts as well as government can take
the strict actions against those companies who are using the data. It is seen that he persons
freely share their data on the social media. After some time, they get shocked when they
come to know their several companies are using their data. Due to the big brand name of the
company, they are not even able to case against that company. This puts the people to come
back without reacting on the data breach. Afterwards, person starts thinking about the
negative consequence of the breaching of their personal data. At that time, it is too late for
them to file the complaint against those marketer or companies. IN this way, it is essential for

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the person to learn effectively as well as properly how to sue the different social media sites.
It is also significant for the people to not share the personal data on the several websites from
their data can be easily taken. Due to this, it is also said that the proper knowledge of the
social media is quite essential for the person to stop breaching their personal information.
several, companies in the recent time are making wrong use the personal information of
several people (Cheng, Fu and de Vreede, 2017).
In addition to this, several disadvantages are also attached with the use of personal
information on the social media. it tends to open the door to viruses, hacks, as well as privacy
breaches. People might not be aware of the actions that companies or marketer can take with
the use of personal information. They are required to clear know the risks attached with the
leaking of their data. Sometimes it becomes too late when person come to know about the
issues of the personal data that a person has posted on the social media (Min and Kim, 2015).
Several scandals come in front of us when we see that companies are being charged for using
the personal data. Due to this, it is quite essential for the people to get enough knowledge
regarding the social media hacks that are seen in day to day life. High level of security
awareness is also required that can help the person to be safe from such things (Brooks,
2015).
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that social media has helped the
person as well as companies in different aspect. It is true that social media has helped the
persons in different ways. It becomes easy for the person to ensure communication with
different people at one time. However, sometimes, it negatively affects the person due to theft
or breach of their data. When person do not have proper knowledge regarding the use of
different social media sites, it become harmful for them. Some of the uneducated people post
their personal information on the social media. the posting of such information or data is
being used by the company for its own use. When they come to know that their data is used
by any of the company, they get shocked. In this way, it can be said that social media users
are required to take proper and due consideration when they post any of their information on
the social media (kim and Ko, 2012).

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