GEN499 Part 2 of week 3 assignment social media (e.g., privacy)

Introduction

The emergence of social networking sites and use of social media have polarized public perspectives on privacy. While the 21st century has become synonymous with the use and overuse of social media, many experts argue that privacy ought to be maintained in online platforms as way of respecting individual’s right to privacy (Bill et al., 2011). To the contrary, others point out that privacy is long gone and social media users should not have any expectations of privacy. They assert that social media users are always willing to provide private information by revealing their locality, uploading photos of family members and providing intimate information about their lives. Such users should have apparently low expectation of privacy. In fact, Gleibs (2014) discerns that social media users are unconcerned about their privacy and whether they are tracked down.

As such, the emergence of social media has led to new perspective on the public domain about privacy issues. This paper explores the various dimension that the debate about social media has taken.

Social Networking Sites have Influenced Public Debate on Online Privacy

At the outset, it is important to mention that right to privacy is one of fundamental human rights and invasion of which can lead to many legal issues. In the social age, however, privacy has reduced significantly given the fact that information sharing is the mainstream activity of social media. As elucidated by Straub & Netwich (2013), there is a thin line between using social media and expectation of privacy. However, new perspectives on privacy have emerged as the social networking sites continue to evolve. Social media has now become a source of data mining activities by majority of sites such as Google and Facebook. Given the fact that such sites store numerous amounts of information gathered across the world, it is easy for them to gather such information as a way of comprehending individual behavior and patterns of interaction in the online platforms (Gleibs, 2014). Such information is aimed providing companies with an upper hand when designing, developing and producing products aimed for online users.

Gleibs (2014) asserts that online virtual spaces have turned into laboratories where companies monitor the behavior of the users for a period of time. This does not only happen without the consent of the users but also at the expense of right to privacy – a fundamental human right. Gleibs (2014) articulates that majority of online users have no idea that big social networking sites retain their information. This is aimed at furthering their profit making objectives. Despite apparent complains raised by the users, the companies contend that sharing information is the essence of the social networking sites.

Besides, they asserts that they have put up privacy settings where the users can choose who views what information. Thus, they exonerate themselves from accusations and blame the loss of privacy to the users. Gleibs (2014) argues that despite the presence of privacy settings in almost every social networking site, the companies can access information even to the users who have applied them. This in essence raises the public debate on privacy primarily in regard who is responsible for online privacy.

In their journal, Straub & Netwich (2013) contend that the issue of privacy lies solely on the regulators as well as the owners of social media sites. In particular, they argue that mining data from such sites has helped such companies as Google to identify problems and struggles of specific social group. For instance, it is through the use of this apparent intrusion of privacy that Microsoft was in a position to identify various women who suffer from postpartum depression (Straub & Netwich, 2013). Although possibilities of using online data mining to identify such conditions seems elusive and minimal for researcher, Gleibs (2014) argues that it was the rationale that led to the convention of social and personality psychologists. However, the question of monitoring behavior of online users has increased the spectrum of studying human collective behavior. Bill et al. (2011) point out that majority of online data mining especially in social mediums could be helpful and identify trends that could provide insights to entire ‘online society’. To this end, the concept of data mining by accessing user’s data could also be helpful in monitoring anti-social behavior amongst individual and may be a major boost to the entire safety of online users and counter crime.

Another perspective of social media that comes out apparently and may seem to influence the public debate about online privacy is the emerging trend of cyber stalking (Bill et al., 2011). Given that majority of the social media users in sites such as Facebook and MySpace give personal information on the internet, some of them might not be aware of how the privacy settings work. In other words, they are usually prone to cyberstalking where stalkers use the online platforms to identify their victim’s location and other personal information (Roessler & Mokrosinska, 2013). In fact, the growth of social media has also come along with the increase of applications whose main aim border’s cyberstalking. According to Bauerlein (2011), cyberstalking is a new crime that has emerged as a result of social media yet new regulations and laws to counter the vice are still in the pipeline. To this end, it is worth mentioning that this concept has shaped the public discussion on online social media.

Social media platforms do not only reflect a collection of data and private information but they are also organized in such a way that they catalyze increased participation of the users while at the same time ensuring that they collect as much information from the users as possible (Bauerlein, 2011). This raises the privacy issue of the main objective of the sites. Apparently, the companies are able to study individual behavior of online users ensuring that they can create applications aimed at inducing the users to remain glued to their respective sites (Bill et al., 2011). They also use this method to entice users to divulge as much information as possible. As espoused by Roessler & Mokrosinska (2013), the social networking platforms and companies do not care whether the users own particular brand of cars, hairstyles and smartphones. To them, what matters is that the users reveal that information. For instance, they might use the information about cars and sell it to car makers who will be able to understand their target market as well as the social profile of such people. Profit making motives of companies and social media sites has led to the loss of privacy further influencing the public debate about privacy (Roessler & Mokrosinska, 2013).

Finally, the debate has now started to draw attention of the people who hold the argument that the online users are to blame for the apparent invasive activities of social media sites. Smith (2010) postulates that majority of social media users who genuinely provide their information on internet platforms have little if any concern about their privacy (Bauerlein, 2011). In fact, when they provide such information as physical locations, their phone numbers, the name of their spouses and share pictures of their close relatives are not concerned about privacy. As such, Smith (2010) articulates that such users have low expectations of privacy and suppose that the actual intention and essence of social media is to share information. Hence, nobody should force them to set up privacy settings since it is their choice for their personal information to be in the public domain (Bill et al., 2011). This influences the debate as to whether those who are willing to disclose their information should be coerced not to.

Conclusion

In essence, popularity of social media has increased exponentially since late last decade. Numerous sites have emerged to provide users with platforms where they can share information about their feelings on any issue. Equally, this has influenced the public debate about social media and online security. Various perspectives of invasion of privacy have emerged. Most significantly, the fact that social networking sites access information of all users through data mining activities without the consent of the users. Their main objective is to sell the data and information to marketing researchers among others (Bill et al., 2011).

Besides, the emergence of social media has brought about the increasing trend of cyberstalking that is a crime. According to studies, companies that own these sites are also proactive in enticing the users to divulge the personal information and participate in the platforms provided. However, some scholars argue that sharing information is a choice of the users and majority of them are unconcerned about their privacy (Smith, 2010). From whichever angle one might think of it, it is clear that social media sites have influenced and shaped the public debate about online privacy in the contemporary world.

References

Bauerlein, P. (2011). The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking. New York: Penguin Group.

Bill, H., Reyns, W. & Fisher, B. (2011). Security in the 21st century: examining the link between online social network activity, privacy, and interpersonal victimization. Criminal Justice Review, 36(1), 251-153.

Gleibs, H. (2014). Turning Virtual Public Spaces into Laboratories: Thoughts on Conducting Online Field Studies Using Social Network Sites. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 1(1), 1-19.

Roessler, B. & Mokrosinska, D. (2013). Privacy and social interaction. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 39(8), 771-791.

Smith, C. (2010). Serial Sex Offender Admits Using Facebook To Rape and Murder Teen. The Huffington Post, p. 1-3.

Straub, S. & Netwich, M. (2013). Social network sites, privacy and the blurring boundary between public and private spaces. Science and Public Policy, 40(6), 724-732.