In the article “The Perils
of Over-sharing in Social Networks” Emm (2014) advises that social network users
should be cautious about sharing their personal information online as
“cybercriminals” or other third parties may exploit them. Emm also recommends
that users keep their online profiles private and secured to prevent theft of
information.
Emm provides two main solutions to eradicate the problem of
information exploitation, where the first is to stop the inappropriate sharing
of valuable content and second is to tighten privacy and security settings to
guard against possible exploiters. Without doubt, the two solutions are wise
and valid, but limitations of the latter should have been analyzed, and the
former should have had a
stronger emphasis. It would have been beneficial to warn users that the
effectiveness of available privacy and security settings for an account
ultimately depend on the overall network security, which may succumb to
technical failures or data breaches. In such situations, users have no absolute
control over the information shared; yet the mishap could have been prevented
through the former solution.
Online platforms are not as secured as what one believes and
technological faults can easily leave users in helpless and unpleasant
situations. Apple’s iCloud, an online data back up system had been plagued with
numerous technical and security issues leading to information being
compromised. The most commonly known issue was the hacking and leaking of
various celebrities’ nude photos (Dignan, 2012). A more recent example will be
the Xiaomi data breach (Gilbert, 2014) that occurred during October, last year.
While there is only so much that users can do to protect their accounts, both
events serve as compelling evidence that network security can be overcome and
breached by various parties, and the absolute trust that one has in technology
can leave one in ways that make defending oneself difficult. It is vital that
users prevent such occurrences from happening by not uploading any confidential
information at all. Furthermore, with the introduction of auto-sync feature on
various devices, there are many occasions where information is uploaded online
without the intention of the users and care needs to be taken to prevent such
occurrences.
Another issue that is that information shared online is readily
available to multiple parties, including the user's friends and most definitely
the providers of the social networking platforms. Individuals within a user's
social media circle can misuse or take advantage of shared information for
their own benefits. A relatable example is one which happened to an officer
when I was serving in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Cameras were prohibited
in SAF camps to which offenders will be punished if found in possession of one.
Yet, the officer proceeded to upload a selfie of himself in his office on a
private Instagram account, with the assurance that the information is protected
from outsiders; however, the picture he uploaded was used as evidence by one of
his followers to report his wrongdoing resulting in him being duly punished.
The takeaway here is that any information shared among friends is open to their
interpretation and usage. Once that information is made known to others, the
user will not be able to control its flow, which is dependent on the actions of
others. Furthermore, with the loose definition of what a “friend” is on social
networking platforms, one has even more reasons to be vigilant online . The tips that were
provided by Emm can certainly minimize the amount of access to a particular
user's information but it will not eradicate the problem of information
exploitation. It is probably wiser then, to reconsider what should even be
recorded on your digital device.
(607 words)
References:
Arthur, C. (2014, September 01) Naked Celebrity hack: security experts
focus on iCloud backup theory. The Guardian. Retrieved
from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/01/naked-celebrity-hack-icloud-backup-jennifer-lawrence
Dignan, L. (2012, January 25) Apple’s Cook: iCloud more than a mere
product. CNET. Retrieved from http://www.cnet.com/news/apples-cook-icloud-more-than-mere-product/
Emm, D. (2014, March 21) The perils of over-sharing in social
networks. Huffpost Tech. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html
Gilbert,
D. (2014, August 8) Security firm shows Xiaomi smartphones do secretly steal
your data. International Business Times. Retrieved
from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/security-firm-shows-xiaomi-smartphones-do-secretly-steal-your-data-1460382
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