Over the weekend, Instagram’s new terms of service went into effect. If your head wasn’t buried in the sand in recent weeks, you may have heard that the company instigated quite a brouhaha over its updated legalese. The proposed changes included what most saw as an assertion that it had the right to sell users’ pictures at will, without consent or compensation. “How dare they?!” shouted the interwebs.
Instagram officials responded to the outcry by saying this was a miscommunication and reverted that section back to the original language. As we pointed out at the time, the previous wording was far more vague and gave Instagram greater leeway over its access to and use of your images.
But, once again, a full grasp of online privacy eludes so many. Because, while there was significant backlash over this singular aspect of the updated terms of service, very little attention was paid to the rest of the changes. For example, Instagram can now freely share user data with Facebook.
Facebook’s Graph Search launch this week sent every online privacy expert to new levels of alarm, and with good reason. Although Facebook has tried to address these concerns, if you read the fine print, there’s still reason to worry about online privacy protection. Let’s debunk three falsehoods that are currently circulating about Graph Search:
Myth 1: You can’t be found if parts of your profile are set to private
Facebook says that any other user can find you through Graph Search, with the exception of those who you have blocked. They don’t even have to be friends with you. So much for social media privacy. More than 160 million active Facebook users in the United States alone could find you. Unless you’ve blocked a good portion Facebook (why not just delete your profile at that point?), you’ll still appear in a search, even if you’ve limited the specific aspects of your profile that can be seen.
Take a moment to think about the last time you “checked in” somewhere on a social media site or were tagged in someone else’s status update. People often do this to share the cool things they see or do on vacation or their day off work.
In that moment you just took, did the term “geolocation data” spring to mind? If not, it should have – along with data security. Geolocation data includes all these tags and check-ins, where you are announcing to the world where you are and what you’re doing. Companies use this information to tailor advertisements and other marketing materials to target specific audiences.
Now, we can debate the ethical practices used by these organizations to gather our personal information until the chickens come home to roost, but there are others out there who clearly have nefarious machinations in mind. That check-in at a concert you’re having a blast at tells the online world that you are not home and now might be a good time to break into your house and steal everything you own.
This is a 6 part series with Fox & Friends on settings that keep your browser from collecting and sharing your private data. It begins with the Fox & Friends segment on Browser Spies.
Do you realize that every step you take, every click you make online is tracked, analyzed and sold or traded to companies that want to market to you? I don’t know about you, but I get a bit fed up with outsiders having more control over my online identity and privacy than I do. This short video series, in partnership with Fox & Friends, is meant to help you take back a measure of control in your digital life.
To view the entire Browser Spies Online Privacy video series, wait until the end of each video and click on the Next Video button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. As you watch each short video in your browser, make the necessary changes based on each simple video tip on protecting your online identity and privacy. Or, chose from the list of tips here:
Facebook has decided to index your private information and make it searchable by a wide range of people you probably didn’t envision as your audience when you originally posted. Unfortunately, this list includes identity thieves, stalkers, phishers, fraudsters and your ex-partner.
Whenever you log onto Facebook these days, your news feed is likely to be littered with announcements of every variety, political rants, links to news stories and those “repost this on 10 of your friends’ walls” threads.
Between those posts are ones in which your friends reach out to their friends to ask for advice. For example:
“Does anyone know a good wedding photographer?”
“What are the best Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End?”
“Just got Netflix and looking for new shows to watch. Any recommendations?”
There are absolutely good sides to Facebook and social networking. They engage people in ways that they aren’t engaged otherwise. As your children experience that moment of euphoria that comes from these new connections, use their enthusiasm to start a conversation about what is appropriate online and what isn’t. The more you get involved, the safer they will be.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
This was a statement made by a 22-year-old individual participating in a panel discussion about Generation Y and online privacy at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) currently taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Slamming your head in a car door hurts, so we don't do it. Exposing dangerous amounts of our private information also hurts, but because we don't feel the pain instantaneously, we tend to ignore it all together. Our risk attention span is about 30 seconds, or about as long as it takes to read a 140-character tweet.
The CES panel was composed of six young adults between the ages of 18 and 28. Each individual made some very important points about social media exposure and their use of the Web.
"I don't believe that if I were to turn [my social networks] off that people wouldn't be able to get my info. It's already out there," said Tess, one of the Gen Y-ers.
When we talk about ourselves, it is scientifically proven that we get mini hits of a natural drug called dopamine. It makes us feel better and because of that, it is addictive. Facebook, and social media are all about talking about ourselves. Why does Facebook have 1 Billion users? Because they have an addictive business model, and we are it’s test subjects.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
AskSileo Episode 3: How long should I spend setting up Facebook’s privacy and security settings?
If you haven’t spent at least 90 minutes with your child setting up their Facebook account, you can be pretty certain that they are not as protected as they should be. Here are the three most important security steps that will make your child much safer on social media:
If your child is old enough (if they are following the 13 and older rule, they are old enough) have them read through Facebook’s Data Use Policy, taking notes on what they learn. There is nothing like reading it for themselves to get them to care about what they are exposing to the world.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
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