The phone and telegraph companies started out as "optional" services. If you didn't like the telegraph company arbitrarily blocking journalists that criticized them, you were free to not use telegraphs.
Facebook is being tied to credit worthiness, and job applications, whether we like it or not.
And in some parts of the developing world, it is more important than a phone number. It is recognized as being so vital, that providing Facebook access is subsidized.
We can no longer pretend that Facebook is some sort of toy, and dismiss criticism by saying that if you don't like it you shouldn't use it.
