### Explanation In the early days of social media, user feeds primarily consisted of updates from friends and connections, with minimal content from third-party sources. These feeds followed a chronological pattern, resembling a traditional news feed. However, as social media platforms evolved, the feed became a central feature, incorporating suggestions, recommendations, and advertisements tailored to users' interests. Some social media platforms maintaining a more classical, user-controlled approach while others rely heavily on algorithms to curate content based on user preferences. From a SOCMINT perspective, the way in which social media platforms manage user feeds can sometimes be exploited to gather sensitive information. In some cases, the imprudent implementation of feed mechanisms may expose private data, such as payment histories (see examples), which can be valuable for intelligence gathering or investigations. Furthermore, certain social media platforms allow external parties to view a user's feed as it appears to the user themselves. This functionality can provide valuable insights into the content and sources that influence a particular individual's online experience and potentially reveal their interests, affiliations, or vulnerabilities. ### Examples - [Venmo drops the global social feed that could make your payments visible to strangers](https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22585467/venmo-removes-global-social-feed-private-payments) ### Types - business - behavioural ### See also - {{internal links to similar functionalities}} ### Typical weaknesses - [[SOWEL-11. Reveal Inside Information]] - [[SOWEL-25. Awaiting the Latest Updates]]