Social media giant, Facebook, is known for manipulating users’ privacy, but this time, have they gone “too far”? For a social media corporation, where is the line drawn when it comes to users’ privacy?

Recently, it was announced that Facebook conducted a psychological study on a randomly selected number of users without explicit consent. This invasion of privacy as well as the manipulation of these people’s emotions was justified by Facebook executives who claimed that when users agree to their “terms of service”, they are granting the corporation a blanket consent for company research.

I am, personally, no avid Facebook user; however, I maintain a sense of shock and disbelief that this manipulation of one’s emotions was so blatant and shameless. Many people today consent to terms of service without thoroughly reading them and simply assume that they are agreeing to allow the company permission to access public data or to abide by the law while using the product. Facebook has taken advantage of these users by conducting a psychological study without consent that is justified from clauses in the terms of service. The controversial issue of business social responsibility is varied but one opinion is that of Milton Friedman‘s who believes that the social responsibility of a business is to utilize resources for maximum profit “within the rules of the game”. This behavior from Facebook may be considered immoral, unethical, or dishonorable but is not illegal; should the terms of service that many people blindly agree to hold such legal weight?

References: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/technology/facebook-tinkers-with-users-emotions-in-news-feed-experiment-stirring-outcry.html?_r=0