KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2024 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Arizona's Small Businesses React To Facebook Privacy Scandal

Angelia Hill, Arizona Small Business Association.
(Photo by Trevor Huxham - KJZZ)
Angelia Hill, Arizona Small Business Association.

Analyst group Morning Consult says 62 percent of U.S. small businesses use Facebook. That’s not big box retailers or national brands, but mom-and-pop stores, nonprofits, restaurants, and personal startups.

So, when the international scandal broke about Facebook allowing third-party apps to access and share private information, and now with major advertisers from across the world threatening to leave the platform, we wanted to know — are Arizona small businesses worried?

According to Angelia Hill, vice president of marketing and business solutions with the Arizona Small Business Association, the answer is yes.

“Basically, what we're hearing is how do we safeguard our customers' and our clients' data?” she explained.

ASBA is holding an event Tuesday to address exactly that. SynTech connects small businesses with current trends in technology and e-commerce — and, according to Hill, it will focus on helping small businesses address issues of cybersecurity.

The Show's Lauren Gilger sat down with Hill to talk more about it recently, and they started by talking about just how important platforms like Facebook can be for small businesses.

Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.