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Comment by jondubois | Hacker News Reader

Why is this article not being upvoted more? It's probably the most important piece that has ever been posted to HN; especially considering who the author is.

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I don't know for others but personally, I think it's pure hysteria and scapegoating. If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. I don't think private property should be forcibly removed away because it is the current news cycle ennemy-of-the-day. The standards for overruling consent should be extremely high - if they should exist at all.

I got fed up with Facebook a while ago and deleted my account. No problem. If Facebook has influence it is because people voluntarily chose to give it to them.

You are really not missing the forest for the trees. Facebook has grown so large that it's no longer an individual's decision to be there or not.

Your data is there whatever you do, growing as a phantom profile based on data you give to advertisers or what your friends share. It's become such a huge power that it's a huge part of social life. It influences our society in ways we coulndt even imagine before.

This is insane. No, you don't have to use it. You can reset cookies and device identifiers whenever you want if you don't want "phantom profiles."

We're at a point where you are massively crippled from the rest of society if you do not use it.

There are so many uses that I just cannot afford to not be on the platform.

Look at the comments here. This website is essentially a bunch of Ayn Rand novels come to life.

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