Topic > Privacy Issues and Facebook - 1275

The growing popularity of information technologies has significantly changed our world and, in particular, the way people interact. Social networking sites are becoming one of the main forms of communication used by people of all ages and backgrounds. Without a doubt, we have seen numerous benefits from the impact of social media communication: we can easily meet and stay in touch with people, promote ourselves and easily find information. However, these changes force us to consider how our moral and political values ​​may be under threat. A common fear among users is that their privacy will be violated on the web. In her book Privacy in Context, Helen Nissenbaum suggests a framework for understanding online privacy concerns. It focuses in particular on monitoring and tracing and how four “crucial transformations” caused by technology can jeopardize the privacy of our personal information. One website that could pose such a threat is Facebook. With over 500 million active users, the site is a warehouse of personal information. Personal profiles allow users to provide information about their name, age, hometown, relationship status, activities, work, school and more. They can connect with each other's profiles and become "friends". Combined with a profile picture, you can pretty much learn everything you want to know about someone on Facebook (if they choose to provide the information). However, what many users fail to understand is that in most cases this information is not only available to their “friends”. While users can change their privacy settings to limit who their profile information is shared with, the site collects and stores more than most of us want to acknowledge. For example, the Facebook “Like” button… in the center of the card… has led to a diversification of the people who create and maintain them. It can be anyone. Putting personal information in the hands of a stranger is risky off the Internet, but it's even riskier online. The ease and speed of information mobility means that no information is safe on Facebook. Anyone who can see it can copy, save or redistribute the information at will. A broad and in-depth information source makes finding and retrieving anything posted on Facebook quick and easy. If someone wants information about you they know how and where to look. Ultimately, this information can be relayed and analyzed to draw conclusions about you and your lifestyle. These can be stereotyped and false. Facebook and other social media sites, and more broadly information technology in general, have had a great impact on our lives and our right to privacy.