From Apple to Playboy, tech giants and celebrities turn on Facebook

Winning back the trust of users couldbe difficult forFacebookin the wake of its datascandalas more influential business leaders and celebrities speak out against the world's most popular social network.

Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized Facebook on Wednesday saying he would not bein the position that fellow Silicon Valley chief executiveMark Zuckerberg has found himself in.

In an interview with news agenciesRecode and MSNBC, Cook said Facebook and others should have curbed their use of personal data to build "detailed profiles of people patched together from several sources."

"I think the best regulation is no regulation, is self-regulation," he said. "However, I think we're beyond that here."

Cook's comments come as more influential business figures and celebrities publicized plans to quit Facebook.

Last week, another high-profile techCEO,Elon Musk, deleted Facebook accounts for his companies Tesla and SpaceX'saftermessaging systemWhatsApp co-founderBrian Acton pushed for a movement to boycott the social network. WhatsApp was bought by Facebook fouryears ago for $19 billion US.

Delete Facebook

Yesterday, Cooper Hefner, the son ofPlayboy founder Hugh Hefner, said on Twitter the magazine and its digital businesswould quit Facebookbecause its policies were "contradicting Playboy's values."

Earlier this week, comedian Will Ferrell wrote a lengthy post on the social network, explaining his decision to delete his account after 72 hours.

"I am not deleting it immediately, in order to give this message enough time to get across to my fans and followers," he said.

"I can no longer, in good conscience, use the services of a company that allowed the spread of propaganda and directly aimed it at those most vulnerable."

The post has been shared over 6,000 times and reacted to with Facebook emoticons by 56,000 users.

Other notable celebrities whohave quit Facebook in wake of the scandalinclude singerCher and actor Jim Carrey.

New Zealand's privacy commissioner, John Edwards, led by example after criticizingFacebook for breaching the country's privacy laws by deleting his own account on Wednesday.

Backlash to continue

Meanwhile, some notable businesses that have pulled advertisingfromthe network include Internetfirm Mozilla, computer electronics company Sonos, auto parts retailer Pep Boys and one of Germany's biggest lendersCommerzbank.

The growing userbacklash against Facebook also comes as government regulatory pressures mount, forcing the companyto introduce new measures to protect users' data.

Facebook announced yesterdaythat it was cutting ties with several large data brokers that help advertisers target people on the website.

Daniel Ives, head of technology research at market research firmGBHInsights said he expects the backlash against Facebook with more notable business leaders like Cook and other celebrities to continue for the coming weeks.

"It remains a black cloud over Facebook's story," he said. "There is clear frustration and bewilderment post the Cambridge debacle and its sent a ripple effect across Silicon Valley, the Beltway (Washington, D.C.), and the EU."

In terms of deleting accounts, Ivessaid there is a risk that two to three per cent of the company's two billion users could significantly lower engagement or delete accounts over the next six to 12months.

But given how engrained Facebook has become in many people's lives, hebelieves that withdeleting accounts, "the bark will ultimately be worse than the bite."