Social media concerns
Aussies ‘bullied’ by tech giants
AUSTRALIAN social media users felt like they were forced to hand over their personal information “under duress”, worried their children’s data was being used inappropriately, and were concerned social networks were spreading fake news while threatening traditional journalism, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has heard.
The responses came at the first ACCC forum in its digital platforms inquiry into the impact of tech giants on Australian media and advertising.
Inquiry general manager Kate Reader said the forum was designed to work out which platforms were being used to deliver news, and if Australians felt pressure to sign up to social networks, search engines, and other digital services even “if they were unhappy” with how their information was being collected and shared.
While the Melbourne forum attracted a modest audience, many participants shared deepening concerns about how companies like Facebook, Yahoo and Google were distributing and trading in their personal information, and expressed fears they had no choice but to accept highly technical conditions and privacy policies.
A university student told the ACCC commissioners he didn’t have a choice but to sign up to Facebook’s policies to keep up with events scheduled for his course, while another man said he felt pressured to accept the social network’s terms even though he could not understand them.
“Often when we’re asked to agree to Facebook conditions, it’s under duress,” he said.
“No one has time to read the weasel print. Each time they disclose information to their partners, do I get an email about that? It’s not really disclosed.”
A privacy advocate at the forum said even she felt like Facebook did not seek informed consent from its users before they joined its social network, and they could not opt out of many parts of the service if they did not agree with them.
“A lot of terms and conditions are take-it-or-leave-it,” she said.
Consumers feel like they don’t have a lot of control over their data. They still end up accepting the policies because they really don’t feel like they have a choice.”
Other participants said they were concerned social networks were creating “filter bubbles” by letting algorithms serve up one-sided news rather than a complete picture of the day’s events, while others complained about the spread of “fake news” on digital platforms, and the “catastrophic impact” the conduct of tech giants had on Australian media.
“We all know there’s been massive job losses for journalists,” one man said.
“What concerns me is the way the news sector now works... is likely to diminish companies’ investment in public interest journalism because there’s no return on that.”
Many consumers who attended the forum also praised Europe’s new strict privacy laws that came into force last week, with one woman saying Australians should also be able to demand more details about how their information was being used, and to ask companies to completely delete their information.
“The right to be forgotten is key, particularly for underage (users),” she said.
The ACCC will hold another two public forums into the inquiry this year, and will submit its preliminary report into digital platforms on December 3, followed by a final report by June 3 next year.