Social networking privacy issues have been making headlines lately. Social network privacy is a hot topic, the news media and blogosphere are swarming with news and opinions. Recently I posted about the near impossibility of completely removing a facebook profile (Your stuck with facebook), and facebook changing its policy regarding deleting of profiles (facebook does an about face). I don’t think I need to mention facebook’s Beacon advertising privacy fiasco (GigaOm article) as it is fairly old news.

“Friending” as it is often referred to, is another privacy issue that is beginning to crop up, especially between co-workers, friends and family. If you post personal information regarding your daily activities on facebook and have co-workers and family as “friends”, you cannot expect much in the way of personal privacy. Social networking brings your offline life online for all to see. It is always a good idea to filter what you put online as you never know who might be reading everything your post.

“It’s a common phenomenon: people “friending” work colleagues on Facebook and then discovering that — as Seinfeld’s George Costanza would melodramatically put it — “worlds collide.” I gained all sorts of insights into another young co-worker when her college friends left reminiscence-filled birthday wishes on her Facebook “wall.”” - NYT

Jeremiah Owyang recently wrote on the subject of the many challenges of Social Network Sites. Several of the points he made regarding stalkers, unwanted activity ruining lives and privacy concerns as social media opens their sites to outside developers are quite insightful.

"Child stalkers in MySpace continues to be a problem, and in some cases, masking oneself as someone else is easy, and to readily fool others. As a result, one young teen committed suicide from the deception, rejection, and embarrassment from a peer’s mother.

The great hoopla and community push back from the recent Beacon experiment, launching of newsfeeds, and social networks sharing too much information with third party widget developers puts members at risk, and visibly makes them uncomfortable." – Jeremiah

One of my biggest concerns regarding social networking is the naiveté of the users. I am quite sure that the vast majority of social media users are not vigilant about protecting their personal lives from online inspection or voyeurism. Back in late January, more than a half a million images were stolen from MySpace (wired article). Many of the photos contained pictures of both adults and teens in compromising positions (i.e. nudity, sexual, illegal, etc.). You can bet that if posted online and made private there is no guarantee that someone will not find it or spread it across the Internet. Talk about food for thought, eh?

There is a saying that if you put it online and others can see it, it will be around forever. I think when adding items to a social profile that is a good point to remember.

A true story for you to ponder. About six or eight months ago I was frequenting a social news site that I am a member of and a fellow user of the site made disparaging remarks about my submissions. A quick look at their profile and two Google searches later I discovered who they really where, were they worked for and their direct phone number. We had a pleasant little chat about their activities and since then I have not been harassed. It probably wasn’t a very good idea but seemed so at the time, and it did take care of the problem. It does prove the point that if you put it online it will be found. I would not advise doing this at any cost.

There are several things you can do to protect your online privacy.

1) If you do not want friends, family, employer, minister, etc. to find out about it, then do not post it online.

2) Use a throw-away email address

3) Think about what you are posting online. Decide is if could give clues to others about your location or frame of mind.

4) Be choosy about who you add as a friend

5) Make public only the personal details you want the public and friends to see. Most social sites will provide options on who can see what. Use it.

Social network sites should obligate themselves to protecting their users privacy as much as possible, if for no other reason than retain the users. Bad privacy policies eventually will cause members to look for safer alternatives.

“What Web sites need to do — and what the government should require them to do — is give users as much control over their identities online as they have offline. Users should be asked if they want information to be viewable by others, and by whom: Their friends? Everyone in the world? Privacy settings, which allow for this kind of screening, should be prominent, clear and easily managed. (I’m not sure I was part of the intended audience for my colleague’s college-years anecdotes.)” - NYT

I would love to read your comments on social networking privacy issues!

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