If the internet is the wild west, then social media sites would be the towns and cities that are developed slowly over time. Because of that privacy and ethical issues are an important discussion to have about social media. The call for rules and possible regulations on social media is the attempt to make these sites more civilized for users of the internet.
When the first social sites on the internet sprung up, anonymity was the standard. You were whoever you said you were. The only things people knew about you were things that you disclosed. You could be whoever you wanted to be even if your online persona had qualities that your real life person didn’t have. This also meant that people were more free in their opinions of events, people, etc. Sometimes what they had to say used very inflammatory language that was offensive to pretty much anyone who heard them. But that was the beauty of it. You could say anything you want and be anyone you want without repercussion.
Things have changed now though. Everyone has a digital fingerprint that can easily be tied to your real life persona. What you put on the internet, even when done under the promise of being private, can no longer be guaranteed to stay private. For example the things you “like” on Facebook used to be something that only you and your friends on the site would be able to see. Now Facebook can use your personal information, that you put on the site, and your “likes” in order to sell it to advertisers so they can make custom ads on your Facebook page.
Many people are upset about this because when they first made their profile on Facebook these policies weren’t in place. They believe that Facebook has gone back on unspoken promises of privacy. This practice though can be useful though in an effort to create a more unique experience for the user.
When it comes down to it, I am of the opinion that whatever you put down online, you should expect that to be available to everyone and to stay there forever. It really keeps me in check when I want to write something or put a picture up that I may regret later on. It’s a pretty good policy that I think everyone should adopt really.
The idea of having your personal data used by companies is still a somewhat new idea that people are really only now coming to grips with. Gone are the wild west days of wild abandon. Because of this people should be more careful on what they decide they should post online.
devinb33 