Abstract

In the age of digital communication, social media platforms have revolutionised the methods by which individuals share, communicate, and express themselves online. Nonetheless, this simplicity also increased the risks of data privacy infringements and the exploitation of personal information. This article investigates the growing concern of data exploitation on social media platforms, highlighting the methods of user data collection, analysis, and possible misuse for economic, political, or nefarious objectives. The research examines the ethical, legal, and technological difficulties related to personal data protection through an analysis of academic literature, case studies, and privacy breach reports. Frameworks such as GDPR and Malaysia's PDPA are utilised to evaluate privacy threats and user behaviour. It also examines existing preventative measures, like privacy settings, awareness campaigns, and platform accountability, while predicting future risks that stem from AI-driven profiling and cross-platform reconnaissance. The results highlight severe inadequacies in enforcement, user comprehension, and ethical platform design. The article concludes by recommending measures to improve user knowledge, fortify governance, and advocate ethical data practices on social media platforms.