Privacy on Social Media - Essay Example

Privacy on Social Media Privacy on Social Media Social media is undoubtedly the most used platform for communication. While this platform has made it easier for people across the globe to keep in touch, recent trends show that people continuously post personal information oblivion of the consequences. It has been shown that reckless posting of personal information makes it easier for strangers to access it and could easily use the same to hurt the user. In another twist, however, some teens are seen as often fabricating information following the belief that social media is free hence no one can ask them. Some teens also fabricate their personal information with a sole aim of controlling the social media space. While this can be regarded as clever move, one should nevertheless be careful of their postings since the internet “never forgets.” Perhaps, there is a need for extensive teen awareness on the proper use of social media and the understanding of the privacy policies and terms. In writing this paper, I argue that social collects personal data more than users can perceive. As such, absolute privacy cannot be guaranteed as posts are often never fully deleted. Secondly, I argue that contrary to the belief of many users, social media is public rather than private. Thirdly I argue that posting sensitive information online could lead to unforeseen consequences to the user. Posting such information, may, for instance, be used by criminals to commit offenses including robbery. The first part of this paper introduces the reader to the concept of privacy in social media and the second section is the literature review of the subject. The next section presents an argument supporting the claims that there is no privacy on social media and lastly a conclusion detailing possible solutions. Literature Review Social networking has inevitably become one of the most used platforms around the globe. Part of the reason is that of its relatively fast way of connecting people in real time thus enabling quick responses. Some of the most commonly used platforms include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram just to mention a few. Although originally these sites were intended for social purposes, they have slowly changed to include other functions such as marketing by companies and also monitoring the social trends of people. The ability to post real time has made them a source of breaking news as well (Boyd, 2014). While social media is celebrated for the way it has changed communication, serious issues have emerged regarding its use. Privacy concerns and the safety of the users have been on the rise. Cases of robbery have been reported as a result of the posts made on these sites. Kaye (2010) reported a robbery incident that resulted from the post that was shared on Facebook. Clearly, much as people are fascinated with social media sites, there is a need for awareness of its implications on private life. Marwick (2012) argues that while the users might not be aware, social media companies such as Facebook collect their personal data in a process called “dataveillance.” Marketing firms are also said to monitor the digital traces usually left by users in the process of traversing across different websites. It is also in the public domain that the law enforcement officers often use data from social media to track the activities of the criminals. Although users themselves are the ones mostly involved in revealing personal information online, it is often the case that some people end up revealing others’ information without consent. For example, Turkle (2011) observes that in many cases, friends end up posting others’ information that could be potentially detrimental. In addition, some people post information that could have an impact on their future careers. It has been observed that potential employers are turning to social media to extract extra information about their interviewees. As such, the common thoughts that one can post anything on social media could affect someone’s chances of employment later on in life (Alburechtslund, 2008). Argument Social Media personal information collection Following the different literature available, it is no doubt that the level privacy is a concern in social media. Unknown to many users is that companies such as Facebook collect much personal information for their personal use. According to Smith, Szongot, Henne and Voigt (2013), these companies such as Flickr collect personal information such as photos when users share them; consequently, this helps them in formulating ideas about demographics. In many cases, people also tend to write information about them especially in the course of creating intimate blog entries. Although most of such blog entries provide with great reading experiences, sometimes they are so personal that they reveal a person’s private life. Alburechtslund (2008) argues that some will also show the location of the writer; effectively getting rid of privacy. We agree that the online space has so many people with different intentions. There are those whose work is to criticize others, and there are those whose work is to conduct cybercrime. The availability of a blogger’s location well makes it easy for these people to commit their ills. Social media is not private, it is public There is a huge misconception that social media is private in itself, and this is wrong. Once a person has created a personal profile, it is often the case that the profile is public. Upon publication on the Internet, a person’s profile becomes searchable, and this interferes with privacy. Boyd (2014) argues that while most of the social sites provide privacy settings, most people will either blatantly ignore them or they just do not know how to use them. The consequence of this is that they end up posting their photos and making them accessible to strangers who can use them for whatever ill intention. In many instances, people tend to ignore the fact that the social media is managed by the people involved in creating the same. While someone may think that their privacy is protected, the invisible people who manage social media can directly access the user’s private information. There are various claims of people’s private information getting leaked on the online space. Some companies have also been accused of selling people’s private information for personal gains. There is the threat of hackers. According to Alburechtslund (2008), these are technology savvy individuals with the ability to manipulate people’s social media account without the owner’s consent. Trends of cybercrime cases have continually risen in the past few years creating fear of just how safe are online people. The cybercriminals will often try as much as possible to access all important information through which they can use to harm the user. Such information may include the user’s financial information of which they use to commit financial fraud. Be aware of what you share The relative ability for people to use different identities in social media has lured many into thinking that they cannot be identified. As a result, people tend to post true information about them thinking no one will know. There are many cases of people posting sensitive information from their “catfish” accounts and ending up being caught. This often occurs when people criticize the government or trying to do damaging posts about the government. It is often the case that people love sharing what they are doing and what they are up-to. While this is a great way to keep in touch, sites such as Please Rob me which use a combination of both Twitter and Foursquare can enable people to identify a person’s actual location at a particular time upon sharing of their information. The consequence of this is that criminals take advantage of this to advance their ill agenda. For instance, in Kaye’s (2010) case, the criminals simply used the information shared to conduct robbery. While this might appear like an isolated case, there are many more cases of robbery that occur as a result of information shared on social networks. Social media is about interaction and in many cases the users meet and interact with different people across the globe. Although social media has been seen as an excellent networking site, not all the users are genuine. Some would pretend to be so honest in order to lure an individual into sharing their personal information. For instance, Marwick and Boyd (2010) say that some people come online and cheat other users that they are honest. This could dupe novice users to share sensitive information with strangers and end up paying for the consequences. Conclusion It is quite clear that privacy on social media is a primary concern. While the use of networking sites is fun, people should always treat their privacy seriously. This is because sharing personal information with online strangers could have consequences including robbery. In order to ensure privacy, users are never advised to post sensitive information regarding personal life; to always have a clear understanding of the privacy policies and terms that governs the use of social media. Always be aware that whatever is posted online remains virtually permanent. References Alburechtslund, A. (2008). “Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance,” Peer Reviewed Journal on the Internet, 13(2): 1-13. Boyd, D. (2014). It’s complicated: the social lives of networked teens, London: Yale University Press Kaye, R. (2010, August 5). “Facebook friend or foe?” Retrieved on 09 April 2010 from http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/05/facebook-friend-or-foe/. Marwick, E.A. & Boyd, D. (2010). “I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter Users, Context Collapse, and the imagined Audience.” New York: Sage Press Marwick, E.A. (2012). “The Public Domain: Surveillance in Everyday Life.” Surveillance & Society 9(4): 378-393. Smith M, Szongot C., Henne, B & Voigt, G. (2013). “Big Data Privacy Issues in Public Social Media.” Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why We Expect More from Technology and less from each other. New York: Perseus Books Group. Read More