Examination of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Scandal in the Framework of Participatory Culture, Digital Labor Exploitation and Invasion of Privacy

Abstract

The number of content such as photos, videos and articles shared by internet users on internet has increased with the popularization of social media platforms, which started to be channeled into our lives, especially in 21st century. Users had opportunity to share their content more easily in these platforms. Interaction features of these platforms such as liking, sharing, commenting have enabled content to become widespread in social media. Although, this situation has positive effects, it also has negative effects. The scandal known as Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Scandal is one of recent examples of these negative reflections. In this study, the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Scandal is examined within the participatory culture, digital labor exploitation and invasion of privacy. In this study, it is aimed to examine freedom and reliability offered to users by Social media with existing concepts. In order to better explain the scandal, which puts the reliability of social media into question for users, it will be to talk about two main actors of the case: Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. The scandal will be explained in detail. Literature review is used as a method. A general literature review on the subject was made and the method will also be explained. Scandal will be examined within the framework of relevant concepts such as Participatory Culture, digital labor exploitation and violation of privacy. Even though it is said that social media offers free and safe environment to users, the result is that this environment hasn’t been provided within the particular of scandal and shows the necessity of questioning the trust in social media.

Facebook’un Eleştirel Ekonomi Politiği: Sosyal Medyada Dijital Emek Sömürüsü

“…Studies in Turkey on the exploitation of digital labour on social media platforms have increased in recent years (Aytekin and Yandım, 2017;Duman and Özdoyran, 2018;Kılıç, 2019;Dağtaş and Yoldaş, 2020;Çeliker-Saraç and Aksoy, 2021;Karaca, 2021;Sim, 2021;Özdemir, 2022). Aytekin and Yandım (2017), in their study using multiple case studies and content analysis methods, concluded that the capitalists of social media companies sell their user information, the content they produce and all their online activities to marketing companies and realize informationbased exploitation.…”