Social Media and Privacy

Privacy can be a major issue when it comes to using social media.  Social networking is primarily about connecting, collaborating and sharing ourselves and abilities with each other or like minded people from around the world, but to do this we are often asked to reveal personal information about ourselves that perhaps others should not know.

In this age of social media and Web 2.0 technology comes an era of providing the world with information that leaves us exposed and vulnerable to privacy issues.

According to a 2011 Survey of Privacy and Security Issues in Social Networks paper (Washington University, 2011) among Spam, Malware, Physical threat and identity theft issues the major privacy related issues that Social Networking has created are related to User's Anonymity and User's Profile and Personal information.

The paper identifies that in most cases user's choose to use their real name and details in creating a profile and online presence leaving them exposed to to all of the above named threats.  Social networking tools often ask you to provide personal information such as your name and sex, an e-mail address and recovery e-mail details, date of birth and location just to start up an account.

The majority then expect you to fill in a profile disclosing further information on your exact city/town location, school or work details, likes and dislikes, relationship status, even posting images etc and although these details alone seem quite harmless, when you take into consideration that social networking sites are open to the public unless you are savvy enough to set your account settings to private, this allows strangers to access vital information about you.

Not only are strangers able to take advantage of your details, but the social networking sites themselves are able to group, store and use this information for later use and a prime example of this, is when you see advertising on your Facebook page promoting products geared toward your age or sex.

Yet some of those people who use Anonymity are sometimes seen or identified as a threat to young people and or can pose more of a risk to those user's who choose to disclose personal information.

So should a person participate in social media using full disclosure or not? or is the potential price some of us pay for putting ourselves out there too high?  Have a look at a couple of the listed links below about social media and privacy issues to make up your own mind.

There is no doubting that social media is beneficial, fun and a wonderful way to connect with each other so perhaps the key to using it well is to be sensible, understand and read up on terms, conditions, account settings and how to use certain tools before considering using the product, don't just dive straight in to it.

Social Media and Privacy information:

Anonymity, Privacy and Security
Cyber Smart
Internet Communications and Privacy Rights

References

Washington University St Louis. (November, 2011). A Survey of Privacy and Security Issues in Social Networks. Retrieved September 13, 2014,

     from website: http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/social.pdf