As Facebook pushes local businesses, new data-mining issues surface
The social media platform is making it easier to customize commercial profiles in the hope of helping users find local retailers and services. However, concerns about trust persist.
After years of trying to connect the world, Facebook wants users to find entrepreneurs in their own neighborhoods.
Facebook announced changes to its business profile pages that should help drive traffic to local small businesses—but big corporations can take advantage of these features as well.
The changes were announced in a blog post, where Facebook wrote, in part:
We’re redesigning Pages on mobile to make it even easier for people to interact with local businesses and find what they need most. For example, you can make a reservation at a restaurant; book an appointment at a salon; or see most recent photos, upcoming Events, and Offers. You can also now see Stories on Pages to get to know the people behind the business.
The company also has launched a standalone app called Facebook Local, which highlights nearby events and businesses.
It’s part of Facebook’s push to make users’ feeds more personal.
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