No, Mark Zuckerberg, we’re not really in control of our data

Some 45 times — I was counting — the Facebook CEO told members of Congress that we’re in control of our data, when it’s plainly impossible for most people to figure out how to do so. That makes it hard to buy what he’s selling, even if it’s free. Zuckerberg has never really explained just how much data Facebook collects and what it does with it.

“We never sell your data,” he said repeatedly, even though that’s not really the issue. Whenever he was questioned why Facebook collects so much data, he wheeled out: “You have control over your information.” Facebook is hiding behind bad product design. Rather than minimizing the amount of data it collects or setting defaults that truly prioritize privacy, Facebook presents a theater of controls and settings that few people use.