Why Facebook (and everyone else) should sell your data.

In today’s age of free apps and an open web, many of the products essential to the daily life of a connected citizen are supported by advertisements.   The meaning of an ad supported website has changed a lot over the past 10 years.  In 2000, most websites would throw 3-4 popup ads and a banner ad at each customer, hoping to get a click by accident, frustration, or luck.  Today, most ad supported websites and apps will instead show a single, targeted ad.   This improvement was facilitated by the aggregation of user data that allows advertisers to target customers by demographic.

When signing up for any free service today, it is par for the course to click “Accept” on a 10+ page EULA or TOS that gives the company the right to collect and/or distribute your personal data.   Most people are fine with simple data collection, but the sale of personal data from one company to another makes many uncomfortable or angry.   However, one must look at the information market from a more rational perspective in order to understand why any web service with your data would be wise to sell it as fast as possible.