New Media and Privacy Issues
From Baruchnewmedia
Contents |
What is Privacy?
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, privacy is 1) The the quality or state of being apart from company or observation, 2) Seclusion, freedom from unauthorized intrusion <one's right to privacy> and 3) The state of privacy is simply described as a place of seclusion. Upon reading this, the definition sounds clear and concise. Unfortunately though the traditional meaning of privacy is changing as we apply it to our use of new media. There appears to be no rigid definition of online privacy.
--Dianadover091 12:57, 10 May 2009 (CDT)
Privacy in Social Networking
How can you have privacy in a virtual world?
Terms of Use, Notices and Revisions of LinkedIn: "LinkedIn may update this privacy policy at any time, with or without advance notice. In the event there are significant changes in the way we treat your personally identifiable information, we will display a notice on the LinkedIn website or send you an email, as provided for above. Unless stated otherwise, our current Privacy Policy applies to all information that we have about you and your account. If you use the LinkedIn service after notice of changes have been sent to you or published on our site, you hereby provide your consent to the changed practices."
Terms of Use, Notices and Revisions of Facebook: "Your use of Facebook, and any disputes arising from it, is subject to this Privacy Policy as well as our Terms of Use and all of its dispute resolution provisions including arbitration, limitation on damages and choice of law. We reserve the right to change our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use at any time. Non-material changes and clarifications will take effect immediately, and material changes will take effect within 30 days of their posting on this site. If we make changes, we will post them and will indicate at the top of this page the policy's new effective date. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here, by email, or through notice on our home page. We encourage you to refer to this policy on an ongoing basis so that you understand our current privacy policy. Unless stated otherwise, our current privacy policy applies to all information that we have about you and your account."
Privacy Rights of Ryze: "Notices to you may be made via posting on the RYZE website, email or regular mail. The Service may also provide notices of changes to the TOS or other matters by displaying notices or links to notices to you generally on the Service."
Users are responsible for maintaining the information that they provide on their user profiles. Upon reading the full term and agreement of each site, it is common to see that ...
--Dianadover091 12:57, 10 May 2009 (CDT)
"privacy." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 10 May 2009 [1]
Can Information Revelation and Privacy Exist Together?
Main Article: Plaintiff's Postings on MySpace Negate Invasion of Privacy Claim
"People who live in glass houses should dress in the basement." -Jeff Neuburger
This quote is true in several facets of social networking sites. Many individuals have been exposing unnecessary information on their profile pages for others to see, such as their appalling photos, birth-dates, addresses, phone numbers, sibling names, and status updates (allowing others to easily track them down). At this present age, how else is privacy and confidentiality defined if personal information that many try to protect are disclosed to the public eye? How can individuals claim that their privacy is invaded if they do not even filter their own information on their profile pages? There are many questions that are spread throughout the web that address privacy issues in social networking sites. In fact, it is the individual's fault for publishing their own personal information for everyone to see, when there are privacy options in social networking sites as Myspace and Facebook to prevent others from seeing your feed or other information that you want to keep confidential. The use of social networking sites have opened a new era for many to get the opportunity to live in glass houses, where the general public can see through the barriers set to secure one's privacy. How can revealing information by one's own doing and privacy exist together? The answer is that they cannot! It is like living in a glasshouse, where everyone can see what a person is doing, while simultaneously trying to cover everything in order to protect and secure his or her privacy.
Sandler v. Calcagni
"Sandler v. Calcagni involves a dispute between high school students that escalated into petty criminal charges against one of the students, a retaliatory "tell-all" book written by that student's parents and printed by an online print-on-demand company, and a resulting lawsuit by the second student against the first student and her parents for defamation and privacy torts. The opinion is of interest for its ruling that the print-on-demand company is not liable for defamation as a publisher of the tell-all book, and that point, an important one for online print-on-demand companies, is addressed in the August edition of the New Media & Technology Law Newsletter. But another point in the opinion is interesting as well, that is, the court's ruling that the second student's invasion of privacy claim against the print-on-demand company, based on public disclosure of private facts, was negated by her own posting of the claimed private information on her publicly accessible MySpace page."
"The plaintiff's MySpace postings also figured in the court's ruling on the student's claim that statements in the book concerning her receipt of "professional help" were private facts. The court ruled that because the plaintiff had admitted on MySpace that she had sought psychological help in college, that fact not only was not private, but her admission of it on MySpace demonstrated that "she did not believe that the disclosure of this fact to be highly offensive.""
Based on the case of Sandler vs. Calgagni, another good question to tackle is: Do social networking sites really protect one's privacy or does an individual bring the consequences of allowing others to access their personal information upon themselves? Of course both are at fault, but this inquiry can be answered in a multitude of ways. Opinions vary and are plentiful, as they can be expressed very differently, and more than one answer may be correct.
--Ktorres 11:14, 10 Nov 2009 (CDT)
"Plaintiff's Postings on MySpace Negate Invasion of Privacy Claim". New Media & Technology Law Blog. 2008. Proskauer. 17 Aug 2008 [2]
New Media and Privacy Issues from Different Perspectives
Social networking among other technologies not only has a positive impact on society but a negative or dark side as well. One of the main issues is the invasion of user's privacy. According to “Why Web 2.0 will end your privacy,” Will Harris emphasizes the reason why social networks and sites such as MySpace, are worth the price they are in the market are because of data or information. More specifically it is our data and information from all of the social networking sites’ users.
Sociological Perspective
- Social networking definitely has a powerful influence over our lives. The benefits that they bring from a study in Scientific American Mind show additional resilience to greater life satisfaction to reducing the risk of health problems. And according to, “Flocking behavior lands on social networking sites” by Sharon Jayson, other studies in the past two years have found that feeling part of a larger group helps in stroke recovery and memory retention and boosts overall well-being. Social networks influence our behavior and management of finances and the way we vote. However, social networks are not there to bring us friends but rather to make money by data mining and by selling virtual ads.
- The younger generation are exposed to the hype of social networks but are not warned respectfully. According to Robert Kraut, a professor of human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, those who used the Internet to meet people online more than to communicate with friends and family increased their depression and feelings of isolation. To the extreme, this influences suicidal attempts. For instance, an incident within the past year with Megan Meier greatly disturbed society. In the article “Jury to deliberate in MySpace suicide case” by Alex Dobuzinskis: Lori Drew posed as a teen boy on the MySpace social networking site to tease and humiliate 13 year old Megan Meier because she called her daughter ugly.
- As social networking and new media are enhancing, it is shifting our social values. The usage of online credit cards are raising as convenience is important in society. But the same time, we face the loss of personal privacy which may include medical and financial details. According to Intelligence Factory observers, true anonymity is no longer possible. With today’s society moving in a faster pace than ever, features such as same day delivery and instant meals will only cause future generations to expect faster and better service.
Technological Perspective
- Usage of new media technologies is an enhancement towards society. However, it brings upon the issue of privacy as well. This is a critical issue as when such information can deal with personal information. Outsourcing is being utilized as we speak and seems to maintain a steady place in the market as companies search for prospects. Important factors in outsourcing that are considered are quality maintenance, and legal differences. And it may be difficult for the company to gain total control over the passage of corporate data. Within the next few years, the impact of social networking on organizations will be further influenced. As CEO John Chambers recently noted, Cisco's seen an exponential explosion in the use of collaborative technology in the past six months. Interesting information from “Don't be pooh-poohing social networking” by Johna Till Johnson shows blogging doubled in usage in four months; the number of wiki pages increased sevenfold in six months, and the number of video blogging files increased fourfold in the space of six months, while users grew eightfold. As social networks and new media have grown tremendously, they are expected to continue its growth in the near future. As it benefits the larger organizations, influence on individual performance and communication is a positive effect as well.
Educational Perspective
- In the past, Facebook made changes to its policy and features. For instance, in “Facebook privacy changes raise student ire; Some complain new features of social-networking site have stripped users of their privacy” by Alex Standard. As a majority of social networks consist of students, their opinions are taken seriously. With the addition of news feed and mini-feed, any changes the user made either to their personal information, photos or videos, etc. were sent by feeds or notification to all of their friends or connections. This caused students to feel deprived of privacy and without an option to opt-out of such feature was inefficient. The reason users prefer Facebook over MySpace is because of its privacy settings. For instance, to join a certain network on Facebook requires the user to have a registered email for that network. Social networks such as MySpace have set settings where the user 18 or older who wants to friend someone 16 and under would need to know the person’s full name and/or email address. But these changes are the effect of several arrests of people who used the site to prey on minors.
Moral Perspective
- People may refer to social networking as a gray area because it can confuse them. People need to use their own judgment and take personal responsibility to apply professional ethics in and out of the workplace. Social networking is all about how we use it. Within the past two months, Facebook initiated a ‘memorialize’ function for members who have died. By request, activation of this mode for the dead will remove any sensitive information and contact information on that account. And will only allow access to those that are friends before the tragedy. According to “Social networking for the dead” by Alan Wilson, people may turn to Facebook during tragic times. For instance, a friend of Wilson’s daughter died and hundreds of her friends turned to Facebook. As they shared their experiences and feelings toward the dead, they came together as a community united in grief. There are people who may use social networks in good terms, while there are those who have negative intentions and attempt to deprive others of their information.
Economic Perspective
- Today’s technology trends should be analyzed deeply. They are transforming many of our markets and businesses. New media and technologies now allow workers to work outside corporate boundaries. It gives companies and its employees more options in terms of convenience. Companies by outsourcing are able to reduce its costs and expenses. Through social networks they are able to work more efficiently. However, the threat of social media is the acknowledgment that communities can no longer control their marketing messages. More than half of US companies do not allow employees to visit social network sites such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter while at work.
- Social networks can help elevate the economy by influencing the job market by creating new opportunities, however, companies may still believe they are more intended for only personal use. Social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn are popular sites that professionals use for recruitment purposes. It is a convenient way to find or let information out and through the million applicants; recruiters could call up the specific person.
□ Alexa Stanard. "Facebook privacy changes raise student ire :Some complain new features of social-networking site have stripped users of their privacy.. " Detroit News,ProQuest. Web.
□ Dobuzinskis, Alex. "Jury to deliberate in MySpace suicide case | Technology." Reuters.com. N.p., n.d. Web. [3]
□ Harris, Will. "Why Web 2.0 will end your privacy." bit-tech.net. N.p., n.d. Web. [4]
□ Jayson, Sharon. "'Flocking' behavior lands on social networking sites." USATODAY. N.p., n.d. Web. [5]
□ Wilson, Alan. "Social networking for the dead." guardian.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. [6]
Social Networking Do Care
Social Networking Sites provide the means for the processing of user data and provide all the 'basic' services related to user management (e.g. registration and deletion of accounts). Just because content is produced and posted by users, this does not allow these sites to escape their legal obligations to users.
Most social networking sites always try to secure your private information from others but recently, Facebook is having problems with phishers, which is one great example of a problem in our privacy. Another example includes spams.
Social Networking and Privacy
Social networking among other technologies of new media not only have a positive impact on society but a negative or dark side as well. One of the main issues is the user's privacy. According to “Why Web 2.0 will end your privacy,” Will Harris emphasizes the reason why social networks and sites such as MySpace are worth the price they are in the market are because of data or information. More specifically it is our data and information from all of the social networking sites’ users. Everything we have ever uploaded and details about us are with them as well. This type of information is useful for the market as companies would be interested in statistically, what we are interested in and target specific locations, age groups or networks.
Sangita Tamang: In one hand we are benefited from the social networking sites as we are able to keep in touch with our family and friends. On the another hand we need to be very careful when we use this sites because we are risking our privacy. Almost all sites that offer free services, online networking or shopping, keep records of our activities and amalgamates it with data from online tracking sources and sell it to someone. Most likely they sell our information to the companies who need our information for advertisement of their products. There are no U.S. Federal statues that protects online privacy. There are no effective control over the use of personal information by online surveillance.
As social networking and new media are enhancing, it shifts our social values. The usage of online credit cards are raising as convenience is important in society. But the same time, we face the loss of personal privacy which may include medical and financial details. According to Intelligence Factory observers, true anonymity is no longer possible. With today’s society moving in a faster pace than ever, features such as same day delivery and instant meals will only cause future generations to expect faster and better service.
In the near future the market and society will overall continue to advance or become enhanced through social networking and technologies of new media. And as social networking websites attempt to protect users privacy in steps, securities will further enhance as social networking continues to become part of our daily lives.
How To Protect Your Privacy on Social Networking Sites
Securing your personal information on social networking sites isn’t only a matter of privacy. It’s also an important step in preventing identity theft. If you share personal information online, you make it easier for identity thieves to make off with your life story (and credit cards, and social security number, etc.) without a second thought. Victims of identity theft can suffer significant financial losses, and can spend years working to “clear their name.”
Users of social networking sites and online communities should be aware of the legal implications of publicly posted information and ways to protect their privacy online. Here are some suggested ways to protect your privacy on social networking sites:
• Use Social Networking Sites wisely. Understand which information you should and shouldn’t share and how you can actively set limits (privacy settings) on the information you share. Each social networking sites takes a slightly a different approach to sharing your information.
• Be aware that information posted on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other online networking places is public. Think twice before pressing “Publish” or “Share.” Avoid sharing personal information such as phone numbers and addresses online. Change passwords every thirty to sixty days, and don’t use passwords that are easy to guess (such as variations of loved one’s names).
• Be proactive in finding and using the controls these sites provide to protect your personal information and reduce your exposure to identity theft.
Google Online Medical Records
Google launched an online service which lets users store and manage their health care information online. Many concerns over peoples privacy were brought up lately.The thought of my medical history being placed online scares me to death. As we all know the internet is a great place for hackers to find a huge amount of private information. Google claims the service will improve the health care system and save the country allot of money.Doctors who are taking care of patients in critical condition will be able to access their records in a matter of seconds. Google's intentions are good what they forgot to take into consideration are the risks associated with placing such delicate information online
Here is an interesting article which discusses the subject in depth. http://en.kioskea.net/actualites/google-launches-online-medical-records-service-10386-actualite.php3
