Question

what is this authors point of view?

he believes social media to be one of the worst things ever invented.
he thinks social media companies behaviour is too invasive.
he is celebrating the exposure of the social media companies.
he is complaining about his own experiences with social media.

so, do you really know what youve signed up for when you use social media? in reality, you are the product, says technology lawyer ty shaw, or, more specifically, your tastes, habits and opinions. these websites are businesses which exist to make a profit. theyre only free to use because when you agree to the terms and conditions, youre basically letting them watch everything you do, both online and frequently even offline, and then sell that information. and i do mean everything.

whilst some people are relaxed about letting corporations know exactly what they buy and say, others view the revelations as horrifying. for example, one sites user policy states: you hereby grant to us a permanent, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide licence to use the content that you post on or through our service. and what that means, says privacy campaigner gina gayle, is that the company, can sell everything about you to anyone it wants - forever. and then those people whove bought it can themselves sell it on again. and were not just talking about obvious data such as your friends and familys phone numbers or your photos and videos, but also your so-called metadata such as when you use your account. as you are forced to let them track your phone as well, these sites also know where you physically go, who you are with, what you are doing, and so on. we believe this is way too much. if companies had asked people directly if they could follow them around and record everything they said, no one would ever have agreed. but hide the same demands in small-print and jargon and people dont even realise that theyre signing up to 24/7 surveillance. the rules must change or people need to stop using social media. either way, this wholesale spying has to stop.

Explanation:

Analyze the author's central argument

Using the Authorial Purpose knowledge point, we examine the text's core message. The author focuses on how social media companies collect, track, and sell user data ("your tastes, habits and opinions", "metadata", "wholesale spying"). The text highlights that users are letting corporations "watch everything you do" and track physical locations, which the author describes as "too much" and "wholesale spying."

Evaluate the tone and specific vocabulary

Using the Tone Analysis knowledge point, we look at the author's word choices. The author uses strong, critical language such as "horrifying," "24/7 surveillance," "wholesale spying," and states "this wholesale spying has to stop." This indicates a highly critical stance specifically directed at the invasive tracking and data-harvesting behaviors of these corporations.

Assess the multiple-choice options

• "He believes social media to be one of the worst things ever invented": Too broad and extreme; the text focuses specifically on data privacy and corporate behavior rather than the entire invention of social media.
• "He thinks social media companies' behaviour is too invasive": Correct; this directly matches the focus on "wholesale spying," "24/7 surveillance," and tracking user metadata.
• "He is celebrating the exposure of the social media companies": Incorrect; the tone is critical and urgent, not celebratory.
• "He is complaining about his own experiences with social media": Incorrect; the author discusses general user policies and systemic corporate practices rather than personal anecdotes.

Answer:

• He believes social media to be one of the worst things ever invented.
• He thinks social media companies' behaviour is too invasive. (Correct answer)
• He is celebrating the exposure of the social media companies.
• He is complaining about his own experiences with social media.