The social media era is also the consumer data era, where brands and businesses now have more insights into who you are, what you like, and how that can be used to better reach you with targeted ads in order to boost response.
And for the most part, that's okay - if you're going to be served ads, why not be shown content that's of relevance and interest to you?
But as we've witnessed with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, such information can also be used to sway opinion, to influence political outcomes, and to fuel divisive movements.
