The day Zuckerberg secretly got married, CNBC thought of a different marriage gift for Facebook's CEO: an objective analysis of what the social network means today, instead of glorious words for his personal event. The main idea of the poll organized with AP is that we may not trust Facebook as once, but we don't quit it either.
A Wedding Gift For Zuckerberg: Less Trust In Facebook
We have long known more than a few Facebook users don't trust the social network to keep their personal information private. Facebook might have entered a new era with its IPO, but still the old issues haven't been clarified for customers' relief. AP-CNBC poll tried to verify whether Facebook has gained more popularity meanwhile or on the contrary, has lost more public trust.
Sixty percent of the 1,004 polled by AP-CNBC had a Facebook account, even though more than half of the respondents also said they have little or no faith in Facebook protecting their privacy. To be more precise, 40% of the people polled stated that don't use Facebook, however, only 21% of non-Facebook users claimed privacy concerns as their reason for not joining the social network. And another 21% of the non-Facebook users said they dislike it, perhaps for privacy reasons.
On the other hand, a large number of people who voluntarily put their personal information on Facebook claim that they don't trust the social network with their personal information. In fact, they trust Facebook a whole lot less than people who avoid it altogether. Maybe Facebook would worry about its upcoming IPO, if 59% of US users quit the social network out of mistrust, but as paradoxically as it can be, nobody's going anywhere.
A Wedding Gift For Zuckerberg: Less Trust In Facebook
The idea that Facebook is a necessary bad thing and you have to get used with it, is expressed by the majority of Americans saying they have a Facebook page or account (56%) used every day (about 3 in 10 people confessed that). Younger adults are the heaviest users, with a third (32%) of those under age 35 saying they visit Facebook several times a day. Most in this age group (55%) report using Facebook daily. Among senior citizens, 73% don't have a Facebook page.
Very few people, who use Facebook say they trust the site with their personal information. Just 13% say they trust Facebook completely or a lot to keep their personal information private. A large majority 59% say they have little or no faith in the company to protect their privacy.
A Wedding Gift For Zuckerberg: Less Trust In Facebook
I don't want to sound ironic, but if so many people concern about their privacy, why are they in the end on Facebook?! Is it pure utility to stay in touch with people in your life? Is it for business? Is it for satisfying human ego?
Facebook…one word and an entire world at your feet. A single day passing without verifying your account and it's like losing your phone, your keys to your car or flat, it's quite impossible to resist the temptation of seeing what others have done or worked.
In the end of the article, I remind you that Facebook went public Friday in the largest tech IPO in history. While the stock disappointed many analysts and social media users by closing 9.5 percent down from its opening price, it still remained above the original offering price of $38 a share. Now Facebook will face a new level of scrutiny as it continues monetize its 900-million-strong user base.
A Wedding Gift For Zuckerberg: Less Trust In Facebook
But even with all the Facebook IPO madness, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan got married yesterday at Zuckerberg’s home in Palo Alto. The couple was surrounded by 100 guests who thought they were there to attend a party for Chan’s graduation from University of California’s medical school. Instead that, they were the lucky guests at one of the most rumored marriage. Don't imagine that Zuckerberg spent a fortune on this event, in fact he was quite economical, offering her girlfriend a simple ruby ring.
Source: msnbc.com
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