Directed Blog Post 2: Social Networking and Personal Privacy

To discover how we are personally susceptible to malicious acts by intrusive people, we have to analyze the nature of the data we are providing through these services. Just looking through mine and other’s facebook accounts, I’ve “discovered” some categories of information. There is personally identifiable information, and non-personally identifiable information. There is also a variable ways that these pieces of information are disclosed. They can be intentionally provided by the account owner, or they can be intentionally or unintentionally provided by “friends”, or fellow SNS users. The information being provided by these “friends” is enabled by the account owner having mechanisms in their account that allow such action, e.g. comment wall, photo blog, personal notes, what-type-of-underwear are you applications etc..  One friend of mine has an astounding collection of facebook applications, which discloses countless pieces of information to the globe. While it may be non identifiable information, it does illustrate a great amount of personal detail.

The method and nature of the personal data are both important areas regarding self endangerment. When we install an application that allows users to post photographs of us, we are identifying ourselves in whatever context the photo presents itself. Furthermore we are inviting friends to post these images that may negatively affect our image, or may enable malicious actions by any subversive individual. The content of online images could ruin friendships. For example a photograph of you with your ex-girlfriend might send the wrong message to your current girlfriend. I know this has happened to friends of mine in the past, and this is entirely enabled by the information mechanisms of SNS. This information is available to most everyone given permission by the owner of the images. Incriminating acts could be collected by law enforcement, and potential litigation could follow. Many friends of mine have posted images of underage drinking, a criminal offense, and are endangering themselves.

The size of our social network increases the amount that regular users will view our profiles. I personally have 172 friends inside the PSU network. Some of my friends have well over 400. How this is achievable, I do not know. Regardless, they are exposed increasingly to those network groups.

Personally I feel that the information security is up to standard. The mechanisms to protect ourselves are there, but often we do not utilize them properly or not at all. Furthermore we are making poor decisions that cannot be protected by security technology. I prefer an environment that has fewer restrictions. A consequence of that is my personal duty to protect myself. If users can follow their own personal guidelines and principles, combined with knowledge of internet predators and security measures, we will live in a safer world. We have to be aware of malicious users and the authorities combined. Both pose as a threat that is enabled by the emergence of SNS technology.

50 years later…