Twitter’s Tailored Suggestions

Twitter has changed the way it operates. According to their blog, Twitter will now make “tailored suggestions” to its users. When new users sign up for Twitter, there will be an option to “Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits.” Current Twitter users will be automatically given customized recommendations for accounts to follow. While this upgrade may create a more engaging experience for new and current users, it may also compromise user privacy.

How is this all possible? Tracking. Twitter will compare your browsing history to other users’ on Twitter. For instance, you may frequently visit a certain website. Twitter will find other users who visit the same website and suggest accounts that like-minded users follow similar to the way StumbleUpon suggests websites. For new users, the suggestions will appear on the left side of the screen under the heading “Build your timeline.” For current users, suggestions will be listed under “Who to follow.”

Basically, unless you choose to opt out, Twitter will record any website you visit that has a Twitter button on it. If you’d like to opt-out of these suggestions, Twitter recommends enabling Do Not Track in your browser settings.

So what are the advantages of “tailored suggestions”? You may find some great accounts to follow that you may not have found otherwise. These suggested accounts may present you with a source of information that will be invaluable to you.

Disadvantages? This could be interpreted as a breach of privacy. As Dustin Curtis states in his blog:

. . . tracking should not be opt-out. It should be opt-in. At least until such behavior by companies is commonly understood. I have no problem with Twitter or Facebook tracking me, as long as I know about it and as long as normal people who use those services know about it.

Is invading users’ privacy becoming the norm of social media companies? As the saying goes, “If you’re not paying for a service, you’re the product, not the customer.” Social media is on the rise and is becoming a part of the daily routine for many. The amount of personal information social media platforms can access is staggering. It seems as social media use increases, so does the tracking of users’ every move.

There is a way to protect yourself from the ever-changing privacy policies of social media companies. Stay informed on what these policies are. Take action. Opt-out of privacy policies that will extract more personal information than you are willing to share. As noted in this article, there are a number of privacy tools available online. They include Twitter Disconnect, Disconnect, Priv3, Ghostery and Do Not Track Plus.

What are your thoughts on Twitter’s new “tailored suggestions” and online privacy?