Facebook's Future in Serious Danger

Facebook continues to feel the negative consequences of scandal over treatment of user data and privacy. American and European lawmakers are calling on Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to testify, while regulatory entities have opened investigations.

For two billion people worldwide, Facebook is a way to connect to each other. But pressure is increasing on the social media network to change. The arguments that have recently opened over Facebook-following practices related to customer data have led to calls for stronger regulations. The company's executive chief, Mark Zuckerberg, is expected to testify in Washington on the issue in the coming weeks. Some firms have banned advertising on the social media site until they learn more.

We took our commercials off Facebook last week... We want to see a little more transparency of the consumer and a little more choice for them. This is a small step to say when you start taking it a little more seriously and make these changes, we'll get back your” platform says Denelle Dixon.

Denelle Dixon is second in office at the Mozilla technology company, the creator of Firefox. Her company wants Facebook to be more transparent with users to learn what is done with their data.

The simplest way to address this issue is to have no Facebook surprises. Do not surprise users or consumers. And if you do, you have to take responsibility and say what you did. And how you're going to fix it” explains Dixon.

But even from Facebook critics, it's not serious about erasing profiles. Social media communications will stay.

However Facebook is the focus of the spotlight now for very good reasons, this problem is not just Facebook. This is a problem with most of the network. The business model is based on data collection, which cannot continue in this way and co-exist with privacy rights” says Gennie Gebhart, of “Electron Frontier Foundation”, a lobby group to promote civil rights on the internet.

When calls are made for new laws, there are always concerns in Silicon Valley that strengthening the rules will harm new businesses and smaller ones. But Facebook is so big that it might need to be held responsible more extensively.

A very concrete step that can be taken is an independent audit of how Facebook is being maintained, collected and used by our data... We need an independent analysis by a group that doesn't respond to Facebook, but that responds to users” says Mrs. Gebhart.

In an event for foreign entrepreneurs in San Francisco, participants say it is a key moment for Facebook and all social media.

I think this is something positive for Facebook. It is an opportunity for them to think about how to grow and continue in the future” says Juan Fang, founder of “Ripple Ideas”.

Whether new rules or self-regulation, Facebook's future is at stake.