research essay

‘Collaborative workspaces and social network sites – have a number of features in common, which are explored to provide a basis for comparative analysis. This basis is extended with a suitable definition of privacy, a sociological perspective and an applicable adversary model in order to facilitate an investigation of similarities and differences with regard to privacy threats. Practical examples are derived from the use of Wikipedia and Facebook. Analysis suggests that a combination of technical, legal, and normative solutions should be considered to counter privacy issues. A number of potential solutions that may mitigate these issues are proposed.’(Martin Pekarek, Stefanie Potzsch, 2009, A Privacy Preservation Model for Facebook-Style Social Network Systems, http://metalib.unilinc.edu.au.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/V/HNI4M16HEDGJ8FHDRFR7ELFIP6SL3F8HPSD9NQ877EA5ML8DBN-56395?func=meta-3&short-format=002&set_number=006582&set_entry=000017&format=999, accessed:21st October 2009)

Facebook is one of the world’s best known social networking websites. Made within the creation of Web 2.0 Facebook connects millions of people world wide, but is it really all it’s made out to be? As technology grows, social media companies push more boundaries when it comes to privacy. Is Facebook really worth your while? I will let you be the judge.

Alice Marwick states that; Facebook has been repeatedly criticised on privacy grounds. While the company claims it doesn't sell user information, details are made available to third-party application developers, who account for much of the site's profits. And researchers have found that personal data can be "leaked" to advertisers and data aggregators, who already collect browsing and behavioural information about people as they move about the web.(Alice Marwick, 2009, There’s No Hiding on Facebook, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/oct/05/facebook-privacy-beacon-lawsuit, accessed: 21st October 2009)

This quote clearly states that Facebook doesn’t care about the privacy of its users. Privacy issues with facebook and other user created content tends to be an invisible environment to the people using the sites. The users do not realise how problematic the privacy issues can be until they are effected. Although the users of Facebook should be told of the privacy within Facebook more clearly, they should also consider researching the website themselves.A massive problem arose for Facebook when the company was hit with a strong class-action law suit against the Beacon service. Juan Carlos Perez from the website Computerworld wrote that; Facebook members found Beacon complicated, as well as intrusive and stealthy. Many people were horrified to find out their friends were being informed of actions, like purchases, they had undertaken on other Web sites. (Juan Carlos Perez, 2009, It will spend $9.5M on a foundation devoted to online privacy issues, http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138271/Facebook_will_shut_down_Beacon_to_settle_lawsuit, accessed: 21st October 2009)

The Beacon service quickly became a large issue among users and Facebook found themselves in trouble. As the quote above states, the Beacon service was difficult to use there for anabling the users to be able to turn the Beacon service off (that is if the user even knew about it in the first place). An example of the damage that the Beacon service can do to personal life has been shown in many newspapers and magazines. Instead of turning this certain user into a word-of-mouth promotor, Facebook’s Beacon srevice costed this man a 14k secret.

Facebook’s Beacon service revealed; Sean Lane's purchase was supposed to be a surprise for his wife. Then it appeared as a news headline -- "Sean Lane bought 14k White Gold 1/5 ct Diamond Eternity Flower Ring from overstock.com" -- last week on the social networking Web site Facebook.( Ellen Nakashima, 2007, Feeling Betrayed, Facebook Users Force Site to Honor Their Privacy, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112902503.html, accessed: 21st October 2009) This story clearly shows that what Facebook’s Beacon service was doing was wrong. By using these everyday people as a marketing ploy and a medium of communication and advertising, Facebook lost respect and thousands of dollars. This Beacon service alone broke four laws in the two years that it was running; Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Video Privacy Act, California Consumer Legal Remedies Act and California Computer Crime Law.

In saying this, the majority of Facebook users do not realise that they are being subject to this illegal activity. The users do not know that even when their profile is set to private (and they are trying to be safe) they still do not have any control over their personal details which they have entered into the Facebook account. For example, Facebook places the users profiles on search engines such as Google to provide more traffic for the social networking website. According to ‘All Facebook’, a website which is dedicated to information about Facebook, says that currently the information displayed in the search profile is limited to: your profile picture, a list of your friends, a link to add you as a friend, a link to send you a message, and a list of up to approximately 20 fan pages that you are a member of. (Nick O’Neill, 2009, 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know, http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/#, accessed: 21st October) Facebook users are not informed that this occurs when creating a Facebook page. There is an option to turn if off but many users do not now how to do so, and how can the do so if they do not know that their webpage is being shown on internet search engines.

Barack Obama’s former privacy advisor Mozelle Thompson, states that it is crucial the legion of newly converted Facebook and Twitter addicts be educated to protect their personal information being exploited. (Greg Thom, 2009, Networks put privacy at risk Tweeters need to get smart, http://metalib.unilinc.edu.au.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/V/PPT6JS4R9KH5K69DXE334898LJCPSQED736LKIDN5DYT17EDKD-99181?func=meta-3&short-format=002&set_number=005683&set_entry=000005&format=999, accessed: 21st October 2009) If this were to happen there would be a lot less privacy issues with Facebook.

A basic goal of any advertising system is to accurately target the ad to the recipient audience. (Hamed Haddadi, Saikat Guha, Paul Francis, 2009, Not All Adware Is Badware: Towards Privacy-Aware Advertising, http://www.springerlink.com/content/91g53710628645m7/, accessed: 21st October) In Facebook’s case that means not following the right privacy protocols. Because of this lack in privacy it has become easier for people to become subject to data beaches, identity theft as well as online fraud as the information (Karen Dearne, 2009, Facebook tools nail privacy fears, http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26231570-15306,00.html, access: 21st October 2009) is easy to access.

There are certain ways that Facebook users can keep more of their information private, although it isn’t advertised when joining up with Facebook. Users can make their posts private so only a certain amount of people can read the information posted. Users are also able to put their profile onto private so people that are not listed in their friends are unable to see most of their information. This privacy is important because it allows Facebook to selectively disclose personal information and to engage in behaviours appropriate to and necessary for creating and maintain diverse personal relationships.(Norman Mooradian, 2009, The Importance of Privacy Revisited, http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1613102, accessed: 21st October 2009)

Facebook needs to improve the privacy issues which circle their website. The Beacon service, user advertising on search engines and lack of information about privacy on Facebook Without the improvement of these privacy issues Facebook can be expecting more law suits and less members. Overall I feel that it is an unsafe environment for people to be communicating in unless they know the dangers and ways they can improve their privacy on Facebook.