Long have I known that Facebook was selling my personal data to advertisers at a profit.

Honestly, my own narcissism talked me out of having an opinion. I admit, I love to see pictures of myself in full costume, looking badass.

But then # ANTISEC dropped a bunch of D0Xes on cybersecurity folks who were readily accessing Facebook’s database whenever they pretty much felt like it.

Did this bother me? Why yes, it did.

It bothered me enough to jump ship. To defriend, one by one, all of the people I know, and those I barely know.

Was it hard?

Hell yeah! I had friended internationally know DJs, whose music I play on my radio show. I had dear friends who I have burned with, who I have danced with, who I have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning with talking about what it means to be a REAL human being with.

What made it easier was that I had already been considering not engaging with Facebook anymore.

Only a few friends of mine would read or respond to the things I posted that I felt were important…topics like human rights abuses, corporate crimes, political malfeasance. But my humorous posts or complaining posts would get all kinds of responses.

I was tired of the continuous stream of worthless information, sprinkled only here and there with links to something meaningful or interesting.

Just having joined Twitter, I didn’t look for any friends there. I followed journalists, artists, professors, lawmakers, activists, and other news hounds. It is a place I crowd-source news reports and other information.

Making the break with so many friends and “friends” on Facebook was difficult. But as a matter of principle I had no other choice.

Closing my account was an act of protest.

While I am aware that many systems track information, Facebook’s blatant disregard for privacy and collusion with totalitarian elements within our government was too much to ignore any longer. I believe in the rights of people over corporations, democracy, and equal rule under the law.

Last FB post: “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”

~PZ