A Prevent button on Social Networking Sites
Last week, when I heard that a few social networking sites had started to include a panic button to prevent online bullying I thought ‘fantastic! someone has finally started to do something to protect vulnerable people online’ (particularly children). Then the next question came to my mind: is a panic button enough?. Absolutely not. It might add peace of mind and some sort of security (when the worst has already happened), but where’s the prevent button?.
The Internet is a great place where users can share all sort of information about themselves, from a professional level to a personal one, with family, friends, colleagues, etc. Social network sites make it very easy for users to register and start interacting with other users in a matter of minutes, where profiles are visible to everybody by default. This means that personal information such as hobbies, home address, employer, job title, email address, even personal phone and mobile numbers are there, available to everybody. And this personal data comes, of course, with all sorts of profile pictures (and I emphasize: all sorts). Your private world has become public and everybody is invited.
Whilst sharing personal 
data and pictures with family and best mates isn’t normally a big issue, when it comes to broadcasting your personal life to potential employers, friends you’ve un-friended and even criminals, the matter is very different. Being a burgler is officially an office job: sitting by a computer checking out profiles on social networks to find out when user X, who lives in place V (source: Facebook), will be on holiday with the whole family (source: Twitter) as it will be the best time to steal their new 42″ TV (source: Flickr and Twitpic).
Although that example might sound a bit extreme, the truth is that social networks don’t seem to inform users clearly enough about the impact that exposing their private life can have professionally and personally. Well, at least, they don’t inform users “loudly” enough (hey, like the message put on the packet of cigarettes: big and bold).
Have you tried to search your name in a search engine? You would be surprised to know how much data about you can be found on the Internet, specially if you haven’t adjusted the privacy settings of the social sites you are part. The message here isn’t to run and hide, but to enjoy the Internet and social sites as safely as possible. When provided in time, information means prevention (prevent button) and this information would protect vulnerable people from being an easy target. Ideally, the panic button wouldn’t be used as much.
How about bullies? Well, unfortunately we can’t avoid their existence, but we can limit the amount of information available to them. If you consider that your teenage kids are saying “too much” about themselves, it might be time to have a little chat about why they should choose carefully the information they want to share online (and who with). After all, it’s in their own interest and in ours, not just for safety, but also from a professional point of view (we don’t want future employers finding or looking for embarrassing pictures of ourselves).
Social network sites might not say it clearly enough, but I do: a visit to the privacy settings is a must.
Should social networks advise its users to protect their personal data? What do you think?
