By Lauren Haberkorn
A few months back, Facebook introduced the new “Like” button. Since the launch of that seemingly simple and fun addition to Facebook, users have been “liking” their favorite things and presumably enjoying this fun new button!
It turns out, however, that websites and corporations may actually be the ones liking the “Like” button most of all. Since its launch, nearly two million websites have added the small icon with a picture of a “thumbs up” to their webpages. Not only can you “like” a friend’s status update, photo albums and wall posts; you can also “like” that Christmas dress from your favorite store, a particular article from the New York Times, or the new gadget that you want for Christmas. The “Like” button is now popping up all over retail websites, company homepages, and gossip blogs. With just one click, you can simply say you “like” whatever it is you’re viewing.
It seems so simple. But what happens next? Of course we know our profile and news feed reflect our newly found “like,” but does the owner of the webpage that we “liked” gain access to our personal information and information about our friends? The answer does not seem so clear… Continue reading ‘Like It or Not: Facebook’s “Like” Button Causes Users to Question Online Privacy’
