Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube operate primarily as systems for collecting user data with a view to selling advertising.

The algorithms of these platforms record almost every user activity, including likes, content viewed, comments, search queries, times of activity and location based on mobile phone settings.

The information collected is combined with profile data such as age, place of residence and stated interests.

On this basis, a detailed user profile is created, serving as a digital representation of their habits, needs and potential vulnerabilities.

The user profile is used to display personalised adverts tailored to their age, health, interests or the content they view.

Sometimes, social media groups change hands, and users’ activity – in the form of comments and ‘likes’ – ends up in new databases used for marketing or criminal purposes.

Mobile apps may collect additional technical data, such as access to the microphone or long-term content viewing history.

As a result, users gradually lose track of what information about them exists online, who holds it, and for what purpose it is further processed.