We talked a lot about privacy being compromised in social media websites which thrive on UGC. But think about the privacy infringement in traditional media - case in point, News of the World.
When reporters went to unethical lengths to obtain news tidbits on the royal family and a variety of celebrities in the UK, an elaborate legal proceeding ensued. Finally, this terminated in the newspaper being closed down along with the resignation of top government officers. The point to be noted is that with traditional media, accountability is much higher. Media outlets are limited and subject to stringent scrutiny.
But social media, being as ubiquitous as it is, is very difficult to censure. This is compounded by the fact that news spreads instantaneously online, making damage control much harder. It will be interesting to track the evolution of online watchdogs and the roles they take on going forward.
1 comment:
Suhrid,
I agree with the privacy issues you mention but it is important to note that while before reporters struggled to get a picture or some kind of information about a celebrity, now people are sharing it online! In other words, is privacy really being compromised by social media or is it our fault that we are willing to share too many personal details?
Think about Four Square. We've reached a point where people not only share pictures,stories, comments but also their locations!!! We are putting our privacy and security at risk.
According to Consumer Reports' 2010 State of the Net analysis 9 percent of social network users dealt with a form of abuse within the past year (e.g., malware, online scams, identity theft or harassment).
On the other hand, social networks are great. Who doesn't like them? According to report mentioned above 25 percent of households with a Facebook account don't use the site's privacy controls or weren't aware of them. So, who is it to blame?
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