Why Facebook Should Worry About Ello

There’s a new social network out there. It’s called Ello (as in the way that some from the UK say “hello”) and it’s currently an invite only platform. Now, you’re likely saying that there’s a new Facebook clone popping up every week. Why should you care about this one? Here’s why. This is what the creators of Ello have to say when you scroll down their landing page:

Your social network is owned by advertisers.

Every post you share, every friend you make and every link you follow is tracked, recorded and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that’s bought and sold.

We believe there is a better way. We believe in audacity. We believe in beauty, simplicity and transparency. We believe that the people who make things and the people who use them should be in partnership.

We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate — but a place to connect, create and celebrate life.

You are not a product.

That’s a clear shot at Facebook who’s known for not exactly being the best at balancing the needs of users privacy with its need to make a buck. That’s the main reason why I steer clear of Facebook and will never get an account on that platform. But will the fact that Ello advertises itself as being the exact opposite of Facebook resonate? It does for me and I suspect it will for many others out there as well. That’s a problem for Facebook as it makes most of its cash from collecting data on its users and selling it. Unless it can somehow wean itself off that addiction to making money in that manner, it will be under threat by a service like Ello. Thus Facebook will have to adapt or perhaps face the possibility that it may lose users.

My advice? Let’s see how this plays out. It will be very interesting to watch what happens as I really think that Facebook truly has something to worry about.

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