How can a user confirm by himself that the company does not monetize the user data, without whistleblower news
Privacy in social media is a feature that is bound to self-discipline of the service provider
Privacy in social media is a feature that is bound to self-discipline of the service provider
A company could provide terms of service and perhaps an explicit creative works agreement defining the exact uses for which the company will use the data (to display on the website, to comply with legal requirements, etc).
It would still ultimately rely on a whistleblower or voluntary auditing, but the combination of clear damages and a not-open-ended terms of use would keep the company lawyers invested in keeping the company honest perhaps.