Lecture 4 - Privacy Matters

Having explored the concept of social media and identity, more specifically Facebook and identity, in a previous post, my attention is now turned to the aspect of privacy and social media. As you could have guessed Facebook will again be the target of my rant. The Facebook account that I possess is private. My privacy settings have limited my status updates, photo viewing and profile information for the viewing pleasure of purely my Facebook 'friends'. No one else can access or view my personal information, right? WRONG!

The focus of today's lecture was the subject of privacy, with the resounding question of 'is what I post on the internet truly private?' The social media site, Facebook, came under close scrutiny as we examined the hidden methods used on Facebook to access 'private' information. As a regular visitor to Facebook, I regret to say that I have become a complacent user; giving little thought to the possibility that someone may be 'virtually' looking over my shoulder. Issues that were raised during the lecture indicated that strangers are indeed peering over our virtual shoulders when accessing social media sites, biding their time until an opportunity arises to effectively 'steal' personal information. Who would have thought that a lovely game of 'Farmville' could have something more sinister lurking beneath, a part of the application that not only has gained access to the players information, but also quietly invites itself into each of the players 'friends' Facebook accounts. Ever wondered how Facebook decides which friends to suggest? Or how radically the Facebook advertisements change if your profile is updated to include children or potential marriage? The answer's fairly simple - someone is watching. Each click, search and scroll is noted, the information available to advertising companies and a host of other interested parties. In short, there really is no true privacy.

The blog article, 'Facebook Terms of Service Compared with MySpace, Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter', by Amanda French, 2009, exemplifies the lack of privacy and rights Facebook grants its users. In short, the Facebook Terms of Service declare that Facebook retains all rights to anything posted by its users, and even goes so far to suggest that placing a Share on Facebook link on your webpage is enough to surrender your rights to your webpage content as well. Further, as if Facebook is not greedy enough, it is stated that Facebook retains rights to all posted content on its site even after the event of account deactivation or content deletion. The list of Facebook rights vs user restrictions is a bold affair. Bold, because boldness is what Facebook is exhibiting within their Terms of Service.

So what do we do about this privacy breach? One solution is to boycott the internet (or just Facebook), a virtually impossible feat in this day and age. Another, wiser solution is to just be aware. As was summed up in the lecture, never post anything on the internet that you would not want the whole world to see, and once something is posted it then becomes the property of the world!

French, A. (2009). Facebook terms of service compared with MySpace, Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from  http://amandafrench.net/2009/02/16/facebook-terms-of-service-compared/