Company
Date Published
Author
Craig Buckler
Word count
2184
Language
-
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Social media buttons on websites, while theoretically beneficial for sharing content, often result in low engagement rates, inconsistent user interfaces, and can negatively impact site performance and security. These buttons not only add significant page weight due to the additional JavaScript required but also raise privacy concerns as they allow social media platforms to track user activity. Moreover, website owners may face legal liabilities related to data collection by third-party scripts. An alternative approach is using URL-based social sharing APIs, which avoid these drawbacks by not requiring third-party JavaScript and only track users if they interact with the buttons. The Web Share API offers another solution by enabling sharing through a consistent and native interface on supported browsers, although its support is currently limited. This API allows sharing to be initiated from a page button, providing a better user experience without compromising site performance or security.