1. A DOWNSIDE TO SOCIAL
MEDIA: PRIVACY ISSUES
ERIN DENTINGER

2. A GROWING CONCERN
DIGITAL PRIVACY HAS NEVER BEEN SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE
PEOPLE USING SOCIAL MEDIA SITES SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN
ABOUT THE DANGERS OF POSTING PERSONAL INFORMATION -
SUCH AS PHONE NUMBERS, THEIR FULL DATE OF BIRTH, WHERE
THEY WILL BE (VACATION PLANS, DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS) OR
WHERE THEY LIVE
“UNFORTUNATELY, MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT
SOCIAL MEDIA PRIVACY. THEY’RE FAR TOO HAPPY WITH THE
IDEA OF LEADING TRANSPARENT LIVES THAT CAN BE SHARED
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY,” (MARK EVANS TECH, 2011)

3. SOCIAL MEDIA USE STATISTICS
FACEBOOK CLAIMS THAT 50% OF ACTIVE USERS LOG INTO THE
SITE EACH DAY. THIS WOULD MEAN AT LEAST 175 MILLION
USERS EVERY 24 HOURS.
TWITTER NOW HAS 75 MILLION USER ACCOUNTS.
LINKEDIN HAS OVER 50 MILLION MEMBERS WORLDWIDE.

4. SOCIAL MEDIA USE STATISTICS
FACEBOOK CURRENTLY HAS OVER 350 MILLION ACTIVE USERS
ON GLOBAL BASIS.
MORE THAN 35 MILLION FACEBOOK USERS UPDATE THEIR
STATUS EACH DAY.
PHOTO UPLOADS TO FACEBOOK HAVE INCREASED BY MORE
THAN 100%. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE AROUND 2.5 BILLION
UPLOADS TO THE SITE EACH MONTH.

5. SOCIAL MEDIA USE
FROM THESE STATISTICS, IT CAN MOST DEFINITELY BE
ESTABLISHED THAT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME AN
IMPORTANT PART OF PEOPLE’S LIVES
SINCE SOCIAL NETWORKING IS A RELATIVELY NEW
PHENOMENON, PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET ABOUT THE
PRIVACY RELATED ISSUES THAT COMMONLY COME INTO
PLAY
USERS MUST BECOME AWARE OF HOW MUCH
INFORMATION THEY COULD END UP PROVIDING TO
CORPORATIONS, MARKETING COMPANIES,
ADVERTISERS, POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS, AND CRIMINALS

6. PRIVACY STATISTICS
17% OF ADULTS USE THEIR PROFILE TO COMMUNICATE
WITH PEOPLE THEY DON’T KNOW PERSONALLY
25% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT DON’T
USE THE SITE’S PRIVACY CONTROLS OR WEREN’T
AWARE OF THEM
40% OF USERS PUBLISHED THEIR FULL DATE OF BIRTH
ONLINE (THIS PUTS THEM AT RISK FOR IDENTITY THEFT)

7. PRIVACY STATISTICS
9% OF SOCIAL NETWORK USERS DEALT WITH MALWARE,
ONLINE SCAMS, IDENTITY THEFT OR HARASSMENT
WITHIN THE PAST YEAR
REPORTS OF MALWARE AND SPAM INCREASED 70% ON
SOCIAL NETWORKS IN 2009
TWO-THIRDS OF PARENTS CLAIM TO SET RULES ON
THEIR CHILD’S USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES,
ALTHOUGH ONLY 53% OF CHILDREN SAID THAT THEIR
PARENTS SET SUCH RULES

8. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OVER
SHARING CAN RESULT IN
IDENTITY THEFT
LOSING A JOB
MALWARE
SPAM
BREAK AND ENTERS
STALKING,RAPE,ETC
EMBARRASSMENT, BLACKMAILING, RUINING YOUR
PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION

9. SO WHAT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES DOING TO HELP?
FACEBOOK HAS BEEN CRITICIZED FOR ITS LACK OF
CONCERN ABOUT ONLINE PRIVACY, CHILD SAFETY, AND
THE INABILITY TO TERMINATE ACCOUNTS WITHOUT
FIRST MANUALLY DELETING THE CONTENT
OVER TIME, FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES HAVE WENT THROUGH MANY CHANGES
REGARDING THEIR PRIVACY SETTINGS

10. SO WHAT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES DOING TO HELP?
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2009, FACEBOOK MADE THEIR PRIVACY
SETTINGS MORE PERSONALIZED AND CUSTOMIZED.
THEY CLAIM THAT THIS GIVES THE USER THE POWER TO
DECIDE WHAT AND HOW MUCH THEY SHARE.
IN 2010, MYSPACE IMPLEMENTED SIMPLE AND EASY TO
USE PRIVACY SETTINGS: USERS ARE ABLE TO SWITCH
ALL OF THEIR CONTENT TO "FRIENDS ONLY" WITH ONE
SETTING. ONCE THE USER CHOOSES THIS SETTING,
THEIR WHOLE ACCOUNT IS SET TO “FRIENDS ONLY” BY
DEFAULT

11. SO WHAT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES DOING TO HELP?
FACEBOOK U.K., BEBO AND MYSPACE HAVE ADDED A
PANIC BUTTON APPLICATION THAT ENCOURAGES USERS
TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
IN THE CASE OF BEBO, ALL USERS' PROFILES ARE
DEFAULTED TO PRIVATE WITH THE ABILITY TO MAKE
PUBLIC. IF A USER DECIDES TO MAKE THEIR PROFILE
PUBLIC, THEY CAN DETERMINE BOTH THE MINIMUM AND
MAXIMUM AGE OF OTHER USERS WHO CAN CONTACT
THEM
MANY SOCIAL NETWORKS ALSO OFFER THE OPTION OF
BLOCKING A MEMBER

12. SO WHAT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES DOING TO HELP?
ON FACEBOOK, THE PRIVACY PAGE CAN BE ACCESSED
FROM ANY FACEBOOK HOME PAGE OR AT THE BOTTOM OF
THE LOGIN PAGE.
ACCESSING THE PRIVACY SETTINGS ON MYSPACE IS
SIMILAR - SIMPLY CLICK ON “ACCOUNT” ON THE TOOL
BAR AT THE TOP OF THE PROFILE
ALSO, MOST SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ENABLE
USERS TO HAVE ACCESS TO PRIVACY POLICIES AND
INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO USE PRIVACY SETTINGS

13. SO WHAT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKING
SITES DOING TO HELP?
ALTHOUGH PRIVACY SETTINGS SOMETIMES MAY BE
DIFFICULT TO FIND AND MANIPULATE, THE TOOLS ARE
THERE, AND IT IS ULTIMATELY THE USER’S
RESPONSIBILITY TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT HOW
TO USE THE SETTINGS. OR THE USER MAY DECIDE NOT
TO USE THE SITE AT ALL.
SOCIAL NETWORKS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED WITH THE
IDEA THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SHARE THEIR PHOTOS,
VIDEOS, AND THOUGHTS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

14. BUSINESSES AND DATA SHARING
BUSINESSES USE THIS PLETHORA OF PERSONAL DATA TO
THEIR ADVANTAGE
COMPANIES CAN MAKE MONEY USING CUSTOMER
INFORMATION AND STATISTICS
SINCE THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF
PERSONAL DATA ONLINE THAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED
VOLUNTARILY (DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA SITES), BUSINESSES
AND ADVERTISERS NOW HAVE THAT MUCH MORE ACCESS
TO THE CONSUMERS INFORMATION

15. BUSINESSES AND DATA SHARING
ADVERTISERS AND COMPANIES CAN TRACK A PERSON’S
BEHAVIOR ACROSS THE WEB USING COOKIES AND
SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY THAT ARE PLACED ON THE
COMPUTER WHEN A USER VISITS A WEBSITE
THIS ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION WHICH MAY REVEAL YOUR SHOPPING
INTERESTS, LOCATION, INCOME AND EVEN MEDICAL
CONDITIONS

16. PLEASE ROB ME
PLEASE ROB ME IS JUST ONE OF THE VARIOUS SITES
THAT HAS BEEN CREATED FROM STATUS UPDATES THAT
HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED WHICH REVEAL THE USER’S
WHEREABOUTS
IT WAS DESIGNED TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT OVER
SHARING AND IT’S GOAL IS TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK
TWICE ABOUT SHARING THEIR LOCATION

17. HOW CAN WE PREVENT SHARING TOO
MUCH INFORMATION?
PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS
OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
EDUCATION ABOUT HOW TO USE PRIVACY SETTINGS
ONLY ALLOW PEOPLE YOU KNOW PERSONALLY TO HAVE
ACCESS TO YOUR PAGE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION
READ AND UNDERSTAND USER AGREEMENTS REQUIRED
BY SOCIAL NETWORKS

18. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF
DON’T EXPECT ABSOLUTE PRIVACY AND KNOW WHAT YOU’RE
GETTING INTO BY READING THE PRIVACY STATEMENT AND
POLICIES. MOST SITES ALLOW ALL REGISTERED USERS TO VIEW
ALL THE INFORMATION YOU POST ON YOUR SITE WITH NO
EXCEPTIONS.
BEFORE YOU JOIN A SITE AND POST YOUR PROFILE, FIND OUT IF
YOU CAN JOIN A CLOSED NETWORK. FIND OUT IF THE SITE ALLOWS
OTHERS TO SEE YOUR PROFILE WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.
CHOOSE THE HIGHEST AND MOST RESTRICTIVE SECURITY
SETTING AVAILABLE AND DO NOT GIVE OUT INFORMATION LIKE
YOUR BIRTHDAY, FULL NAME, PHONE NUMBER, SOCIAL
INSURANCE NUMBER OR ADDRESS

19. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF
TAKE A SECOND TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE
POSTING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS.
REMEMBER: WHAT YOU POST COULD BE ONLINE
FOREVER.
KNOW THAT EVEN SITES WITH EXTENSIVE PRIVACY
OPTIONS MAY BE REQUIRED TO MAKE YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO CERTAIN AUTHORIZED
PERSONS, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES