Users reconsider ‘super creepy’ Facebook

Leesa Charlotte is considering joining the “#deletefacebook” move­ment and taking her account off the platform.

Leesa Charlotte is rethinking her presence on Facebook: ‘Maybe we just need to burn it all and start over’. Picture: Aaron Francis

As Facebook confirms some of its 10 million Australian users are caught up in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, many are joining the “#deletefacebook” move­ment and removing their accounts from the platform.

Melbourne-based community manager Leesa Charlotte has been on Facebook since 2004 and said she finds some aspects of the social network “super creepy”.

“There are some of the things it does, like I’ve been talking about something in real life then Facebook comes up with an ad saying ‘are you interested in this?’

“And when I turned 30 I started getting ads for trying to get pregnant.”

Ms Charlotte told The Australian she was concerned about Facebook’s invasion of her privacy, and the sheer level of data it has on her.

But with all of her friends still on the platform, it will be difficult to pull the plug completely.

“I don’t like the way technology companies use psychological techniques to keep you on your devices — that makes me really uncomfortable,” she said.

“They use your data to game you. I would say I’m addicted.

“At the same time, I’m not sure I have the ability to remove myself from it completely.”

Ms Charlotte said following these revelations there was no way for her to trust tech companies any more.

Her Uber account fell victim to a Russian hacker last year, leading her to remove that app completely. “For these companies that begin as disrupters, and as start-ups, they can get away with more for a lot longer,” she said.

“We simply haven’t held them to the same level as corporates. When my Uber account got hacked by Russia, that was a horrific experience trying to get back on and I just use alternatives now, because it’s safer.”

She said the answer could be government regulation or a code of ethics for tech companies. “You have ‘tech bros’ starting these tech companies which are changing the world, but what do you expect?” she said. “They don’t have degrees in ethics, and they don’t think much about that stuff. Maybe they really should.

“Maybe we just need to burn it all and start over.”