On March 27th, 2018, I’ve decided to remove all my accounts on the following Facebook-owned apps: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Facebook.com – This is easy because I only have 1 connection.
- Instagram – This is a little harder because I use the message feature to talk to 2 people on iOS devices. So now we have to figure out how to chat from iOS devices to Android while not wanting to install yet another messaging app.
- WhatsApp – This is the most difficult but I decided to bite the bullet and move all 95 members of my badminton social group to Slack.
The people in my social group asked why I am making this move given that we really don’t have privacy anymore
Ad Driven Business Models Have The Wrong Incentives
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Their incentives are to mine our data, the people we are connected to in order to grow their reach and depth of understanding of our behaviors. I’m moving to Slack because their business model is to build a delightful product so that we will pay for it, not to sell ads. These 2 business models drive very different incentives for the employees who work there.
It’s Time, We Can Do It, #deleteFacebook
- My friends are saying they have been in Facebook for a long time now, their privacy is already lost. My argument is that this is like quiting cigarettes, just because you have been smoking for 10 years, it doesn’t mean you should continue.
Friends Don’t Let Friends’ Data Be Stolen
- Like the campaign “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk”. Being on Facebook doesn’t just expose your data to advertisers. The ‘friends’ that are connected to you also are at risk of having their data scrapped without them knowing. Even if you protect your data, if you allow any app to connect to your Facebook account, your friends’ data will be exposed as well. See how it was done to 50 million users
I Know It Is Hard
- I know it’s hard to change your habits. I know it’s hard to be FOMO. I know people will ask you to come back to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
- I am on the other side now, I know it’s a better place.
- I also know that there are naysayers
- Tony, you have Google, isn’t that the same thing?
- Yes Google knows a lot about me, I use their phone, but I’m not exposing my friends’ privacy. Google doesn’t have the same type of social network.
- Just because I’m using Google, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t delete Facebook
- Tony, you have no friends on Facebook to connect to, that’s why it’s so easy.
- The friends I want to talk with, I see them face to face or I will call them on the phone. Or I will create a private chat room focused on talking to people I have common interests with.
- 500+ friends on Facebook do not need to see me spam them.
- If they cared, they can always follow me on
- sfbadminton.org – I play badminton weekly with 95+ people
- impactfulengineer.org – I interview people and help engineers
- tonytam.org – I blog for my daughter and my future self
- Oh Tony, you are are just weird!
- You can be weird, just like me! Why do you want to be like the other 2 billion Facebook users?
- Tony, you have Google, isn’t that the same thing?
If you need support, ping me.