Social Media, the Watchdog?

Online privacy has come a long way in the last ten years. But in which direction has it traveled? Some argue that the Internet is now so riddled with consumers’ private data that privacy laws have been rendered moot. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ display users’ pictures publicly—some of them, at least—and have faced criticism for doing so. So, has social media become a watchdog, or is it still a benign—albeit bustling—animal?

Interestingly, Facebook’s predecessor—known as Facemash—once found itself at the center of a Harvard University scandal for invasion of privacy. Its co-founder, the renowned Mark Zuckerberg, was almost expelled from the prestigious university for hacking into and harvesting photographs from online “facebooks” maintained by nine Harvard houses. Given the current iteration of Facebook, Harvard’s initial privacy concerns now seem ironic.

Over the years, social media has become a valid way to raise awareness about important concerns and address sensitive issues. A large percentage of the populace now has accounts on one or more social media sites. As a result, it can be easier to contact a relative, friend, or business associate via MySpace or Facebook than via email. You can share data like pictures, events, and contact information with the people on your friends list.

If that sounds convenient, and fun, it’s because it is. However, there is a price to pay: you give up a certain amount of personal privacy. Of course, social networks are not allowed to sell sensitive data—credit card details or social security numbers, for example—but they can gather and distribute lists of names, ages, preferences, and locations. Ads can be tailored to appear in accordance with your browsing or “like” history. You can install an ad blocker to eliminate advertisements, but you cannot necessarily eliminate your information from providers’ databases—which are regularly sold to third parties.

As a communications and media specialist, you probably use the very same data to your advantage as you create marketing strategies. In the right hands, it’s useful, and when handled properly, consumers’ privacy remains relatively safe. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one using this data. Less trustworthy folk also have a vested interest in consumer data and a set of much darker goals, which can include theft or unwanted media exposure.

There are also human resource teams to take into consideration. Before the hiring process even begins, some HR folk scan applicants’ social media profiles, tweets, and Facebook posts. Because of the manner in which many individuals use social media, this process often reveals another side to jobseekers’ personalities.

On top of that, data mining corporations and big data companies use information from social media sites—including public Facebook posts—in combination with other data sources to create consumer profiles. They’re not always accurate, but they are often more detailed than consumers are comfortable with. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the US population finds the thought of any centralized database of consumer profiles eerie at best.

Social media has changed significantly since its inception. Like so many Internet-based adventures, the playful fun of yore has been overtaken by a set of agenda-based schemes. Nowadays, you can buy product on Facebook, promote your company on Twitter, and have business meetings via Google+. Of course, all those features are very useful—in the right hands. Certainly, information gleaned from social media outlets can also be exploited.

It seems prudent to limit the amount of personal information you share on social media networks. After all, big brother, his friends, their clients, their clients’ clients, and a number of other individuals may all be hiding surreptitiously behind the digital curtain.

(Photo courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net)