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The UK government’s proposal to introduce a citizen ID card faced significant public backlash, with many people viewing it as an invasive overreach of state power and a threat to personal privacy and civil liberties.

In contrast, Facebook’s ability to collect and collate vast amounts of personal data through seemingly harmless gamification and socialisation techniques – like quizzes, targeted ads, and friend connections – has been largely embraced.

While the idea of a government tracking individuals sparks outrage, many people willingly hand over their data to corporations in exchange for convenience and connection, often without fully realising the extent of surveillance they are subjecting themselves to.

The Real Cost of Facebook’s “Free” Business Model?

Your Privacy

For over a decade, Facebook has marketed itself as a free, democratic community tool: an online town square where people can share, connect, and have a voice in shaping the world.

From early on, the platform attracted users by promising that it would always be free. But at what cost?

Facebook is not a public service but a massive, money-making business, generating billions of dollars every year.

As of January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $219 billion, making him the fourth richest person in the world.

So how does it make money – and so much of it??

The cost for users, while not directly financial, is paid through personal data, privacy, and even control over public discourse.

Sally for Sale.

If You’re Not Paying, You’re the Product

Facebook’s promise of being “free” comes with a hidden price tag.

Rather than charging users to access its platform, the company profits by harvesting vast amounts of user data, which it sells to advertisers.

Every post you like, every photo you upload, and every connection you make contributes to a digital profile that Facebook can exploit to serve highly targeted ads. The more data they collect, the more precisely advertisers can reach their audience.

Facebook’s primary revenue source is advertising, and in 2022, the company earned over $116 billion, with nearly all of it coming from ad sales.

Advertisers pay Facebook to get their products in front of users, while the users, in turn, provide Facebook with the personal information that fuels this system. By tracking user behaviour – both on and off the platform – Facebook can offer advertisers detailed insights into users’ interests, habits, and preferences.

The result is a hyper-personalised ad experience, where users are constantly targeted based on the most intimate aspects of their digital lives.

The Cost of “Free”

While there’s no charge to use Facebook, the platform collects and monetises the personal data of users. This data includes everything from your location and browsing habits to your political views and purchasing behaviours.

Essentially, you are the product being sold.

Your personal information is harvested to create highly detailed profiles that advertisers find incredibly valuable.

So what Facebook offers as a “free” service is actually a finely tuned machine designed to extract and commodify personal data for profit. This exchange – free access to the platform in return for your data – has profound implications, especially when it comes to issues of privacy, security, and control.

Facebook as a Democratic Community Tool: An Illusion of Control

From the start, Facebook positioned itself as a democratic platform where users had a voice and control over the content they shared and consumed. The idea was simple: create an online community where everyone could participate and speak their mind. This democratic ideal, however, is more of a marketing narrative than a reality.

Facebook’s algorithms determine what content is seen and by whom, based on user behavior and preferences. While this may seem benign at first, it leads to the creation of echo chambers, where users are only exposed to information that reinforces their existing beliefs. In this way, Facebook controls the flow of information and subtly shapes public discourse.

What you see on your feed is not a reflection of objective reality but rather a filtered, algorithmically curated version designed to maximise engagement – and ad revenue.

Facebook’s Community Standards and content moderation policies also give it incredible power. While they might be necessary to combat harmful or illegal content, this all also raises questions about who controls the digital boundaries of free speech.

The Gatekeeper of Public Discourse

This power has not gone unnoticed, especially in political circles.

During election cycles, Facebook has been scrutinised for its role in spreading misinformation and shaping public opinion. In 2016, the platform faced heavy criticism for its role in amplifying fake news stories that may have influenced the U.S. presidential election. This led to a global debate about Facebook’s role in democracy and its responsibilities as a platform.

In response, Facebook implemented fact-checking programs and began flagging misleading content. However, opaque algorithms and inconsistent moderation have led to accusations of bias and political interference. Facebook’s decisions about what content to promote or suppress can influence political outcomes, giving the platform a level of power over democracy that few fully understand.

The Cambridge Analytica Scandal

In 2018, it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, had harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent and used this information to create targeted political advertising. The data was used to influence voter behaviour in elections, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit referendum.

This scandal highlighted the vulnerability of Facebook’s business model and the extent to which user data can be exploited for political purposes. It also exposed Facebook’s failure to protect user data, leading to widespread criticism and calls for stricter regulation.

Political Influence and Control

Facebook’s power extends far beyond advertising and user engagement. With its massive global user base – over 2.9 billion active users – Facebook has the power to shape public discourse on a scale that rivals traditional media outlets. The platform’s ability to amplify certain voices while silencing others has made it a significant political actor.

Governments and political campaigns now invest heavily in Facebook ads, knowing the platform’s power to sway public opinion. Political actors can use Facebook’s micro-targeting capabilities to deliver highly specific messages to different segments of the population, sometimes stoking division or spreading misinformation.

On this “free” platform, the true cost is hidden in our data, privacy, and the shaping of democracy itself.

Facebook may be sold as a tool for the people but, in the end, it’s the people who are being sold.