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's idea about the importance of taking security measures against information exploitation is valid; however, it would have been more beneficial if he had focused on urging users against the sharing of inappropriate content online, on top of the added security measures. As the flow of any information online is beyond our control, it will be wise to reexamine the information we are sharing before things go out of way and develop into a catastrophe. We can easily avoid information exploitation by not releasing that information from the start.
The idea of being able to completely protect information online is naïve and flawed, as they are readily available to multiple parties, including your 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. Undoubtedly, it was not a smart move where he was reported by one of his followers and duly punished. The takeaway here is not that we should be hiding our wrongdoings from the Internet although we most definitely should, but that any information that is shared among friends is open to their interpretation and usage. Once any information is made known to others, we will not be able to control its flow, as we are not able to control the actions of others. Furthermore, with the loose definition of what a “friend” is on social networking platforms, we have even more reasons to be vigilant about how we act online. The tips that were provided by Emm can certainly minimize the amount of access to our information but it will not eradicate the problem of information exploitation.
The other issue about sharing information online is that online platforms are not as secured as what we think. In the past few years, we have seen the introduction of various online data backup platforms, iCloud being one of the pioneers. Although Apple had claimed that iCloud was “more than a mere product" and "a strategy for the next decade” (Dignan, 2012), it was plagued with technical and security issues leading to information being compromised. The most commonly known issue was the hacking and leaking of various celebrities’ nude photos. A more recent example will be the Xiaomi data breach (Gilbert, 2014) that occurred during October, last year. While there is only so much we can do to protect our accounts, these events remind us that technology may let us down in ways that we would be unable to defend ourselves. It is extremely important that we 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. It is probably wiser then, to reconsider what should even be recorded on your digital device.
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References:
Arthur, C (2014, Sep 01) Naked Celebrity hack: security experts focus on iCloud backup theory. theguardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/01/naked-celebrity-hack-icloud-backup-jennifer-lawrence
Dignan, L (2012, Jan 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, Aug 8) Security firm shows Xiaomi smartphones do secretly steal your data . IBT. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/security-firm-shows-xiaomi-smartphones-do-secretly-steal-your-data-1460382
1) 'inappropriate content' - we feel that you could elaborate more on what this content is
ReplyDelete2) 'The takeaway here is not that we should be hiding our wrongdoings from the Internet although we most definitely should, but that any information that is shared among friends is open to their interpretation and usage.' - We find that this sentence is quite convoluted. You should go straight to the point
3) The other issue about sharing information online is that online platforms are not as (secured) as what we think.
-Verb tense, secure
4) While there is only so much we can do to protect our accounts, these events remind us that (technology may let us down in ways that we would be unable to defend ourselves.)
-We feel that you could make it clearer by saying 'technology may make us vulnerable to online threats.'
Overall, good job!(:
Bert and Charmaine
Like your peer team states, this is a good summary and reader response. You provide an accurate, well reported, concise summary and then a well supported response.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few areas that can be improved. One area that needs to be reviewed is the repeated use of "we" and "our." As I've mentioned, use of first and second person singular and plural is rare in academic writing. Nw since this is a reader response, I'm not bothered when you safe the example of your NS experience and use "I," but the various references to "we" in reference to media users seems too conversational and should be changed. One way is to use passive verbs:
While there is only so much we can do to protect our accounts, these events remind us that technology may let us down in ways that we would be unable to defend ourselves.
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While there is only so much that can be done for users to protect their accounts, events such as the Xiaomi breach are a reminder that technology may cause problems in ways that make defending oneself difficult.
There are other areas here that you can work on as well.
Thanks for your effort!
One more item is that your first reference should be:
ReplyDeleteArthur, C. (2014, Sep 01). Naked celebrity hack: security experts focus on iCloud backup theory. The Guardian (in italics). Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/01/naked-celebrity-hack-icloud-backup-jennifer-lawrence
Please revise the others.