Are You Putting Members’ Privacy At Risk With Facebook?

If you have heard about the latest Facebook scandal, you might be wondering if your members’ data on social media is safe.  According to reports, personal information of over 87 million Facebook users was collected and used without their consent.  So, how much risk does your members’ information face on social channels and what other options are available?

 

With a casual environment and ease of use, Facebook and other social networks make it convenient for organizations to communicate with their members.  Often, members can discuss various issues with each other and even answer each other’s questions.  The only issue is that storing data on third-party platforms leaves you without full control over it, thereby making it vulnerable.

Although many people believe the data they place on there is theirs, the reality is that a social media site is free to use data as it pleases.  In most cases, they use it for personalization and optimization of how an advertisement is displayed.  An even bigger threat is the fact that other people or organizations could have access to it and use it undesirably, like in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

 

It might seem impractical to do away with Facebook as a means of connecting with members, but club websites are a safer platform for storing valuable data.  With club websites you own, the data stored there is all yours so only you and your members have access to it.

Additionally, you’re able to build trust with members as they feel more comfortable displaying their information.  They may even have the option to post anonymously which isn’t possible with social media networks.  Using club websites rather than social channels to store your members’ data is not only convenient in matters to do with privacy; it’s also a chance for your membership to grow as well.