Your Data is Currency - The Ethics of Targeted Advertising by Social Media Platforms

All of the big social media platforms on the internet like Instagram and Facebook are free to use, allowing for users to engage with and utilize the services provided by these platforms without any financial cost. In order for social media site owners to afford operating expenses to keep their websites updated, secured, and moderated, rather than charging users to use their platform, many social media sites have opted to use alternative monetization methods like targeted advertising. Social media platforms target specific ads by allowing their advertisers to decide which specific…