SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE FUTURE OF

PRIVACYBy: Sarah Tipper, Julia Tytula, and Gursharan Singh

Mahal

Social Networking Sites Selling Information to Third Parties

Huffington Post, 2014

Introduction

• Some social media sites have started selling information about their users to third parties. These third parties take personal information that has been shared with users friends and families, and use it to try to advertise to specific people better. This may seem harmless, but knowing that your personal information is no longer personal at all can be quite frightening.

Examples of Companies Selling Users Information to Third Parties

• Facebook makes money by selling information about your friends, hobbies, age, relationship status, etc.

• Google uses information from Gmail’s, things you’ve searched, etc. to make money from advertisers

• Twitter uses “tweets” to make a profit

by selling the popular ones to advertisers

• YouTube targets ads based on videos watch

Cont’d

• Pinterest is legally allowed to sell names,

numbers, email addresses, and third parties

• LinkedIn has a new “Pro” option that

charges users for a feature that tells

them who has visited their page and what they thought of it

• Tumblr has sold its users’ information to Yahoo!

Hendricks, 2014

Facebook

• Facebook has released that they sell personal information to advertisers, developers and partners

• Personal information posted on Facebook by users is being shared with millions of companies

• When Facebook users “Like” something, information is given to advertisers

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/facebook-is-using-you.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

Facebook Logo Detail, n.d

Google

• Where does Google’s Money come From?

• Google made an estimated $36.5 billion through advertising in 2011

• How does Google make it’s money?

• Google sells information from users anywhere from a Google search to information inside a Gmail

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/trusting-your-private-data-to-google-is-like-trusting-your-chickens-to-mr-fox-1173302

Google is Evil, n.d.

Twitter

• Twitter sells promoted tweets to firms interested in learning more about consumers

• Twitter generated $32 million licensing its data

• Once firms have purchased information from Twitter, they resell the data to analytics companies.

http://business.time.com/2013/10/08/twitter-is-selling-access-to-your-tweets-for-millions/

Evil Twitter Logo, 2012

• LinkedIn sells information to its own users, offering to show them who’s viewed their profile.

• This feature is called the “Pro” feature.

• LinkedIn promotes its own privacy policy, that it has personally violated by selling information back to users.

http://www.hive76.org/linkedin-is-selling-your-clicks-and-violating-its-own-privacy-policy

Logo for Linkedin, 2013

Pinterest

• It is recorded in Pinterest’s privacy policy that users’ information can be sold.

• It is not known specifically what is sold

• But the company is able to sell any information it collects, such as:

• Names

• Phone numbers

• Email adresses

• And more

http://blog.hotspotshield.com/2013/06/25/social-media-privacy-concerns /

• Tumblr sold all of its information to Yahoo!

• Tumblr is a blog style website where users often feel it’s appropriate to share extremely personal information to their readers

• Giving a magnitude of personal information to one of the internet’s largest corporations many are considering a huge breach in user privacy

http://blog.hotspotshield.com/2013/06/25/social-media-privacy-concerns/

Logo for Tumblr, n.d

• YouTube has converted over to target marketing.

• This is controversial because YouTube has to sell information about what users are watching to companies to show Ads that directly targets each user’s interests.

• Google has emphasized that this service is only done on YouTube.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/mar/11/googlethemedia-google

YouTube

Legality

• Before a user can access a social network, he or she must read and accept a privacy policy.

• It is understood by social networks that most users neglect to read these policies

• This allows for social networks to put controversial statements in their policies

• This takes the legal responsibility away from social networks

https://www.privacyrights.org/social-networking-privacy-how-be-safe-secure-and-social#laws Law, 2013

How to Protect Yourself

• Avoid

• Full names when signing up for social media sites

• Using your everyday email account when signing up for social media so that it won’t be spammed with junk mail

• Using these social media sites all together if you are very concerned about your personal information being sold to larger companies

Internet Security, n.d.

Implications

• Information found online has been used against people in court because legally law enforcement is allowed to have full access to anything online

• You may be turned down for credit or insurance because these companies have access to your online information

• Users have no ability to know where their personal information has gone or where it is being stored

In Summary

• Large internet companies have been able and will continue to sell your personal information online

• There are many ways to protect yourself from these companies and keep your information personal

• Ultimately the best thing to do is properly educate yourself on the user agreements before signing your life away

ReferencesGoogle is Evil. n.d. Evil Google logo. Retrieved from http://images.seroundtable.com/google-is-evil-300x270-1314103412.jpg

Facebook Logo Detail. n.d. Facebook logo. Retrieved from http://www.underconsideration.com/bran dnew/archives/facebook_logo_detail.gif

Huffington Post (2014). Social Media. Retrieved from http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-05-06-socialmedia.jpg

Hendricks, D. (2014). Social Media Tips. Retrieved from http://drewahendricks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/social-media- tips.jpg

Evil Twitter Logo. (2012). Twitter Bird with Horns. Retrieved from http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/twitter-bird- with-horns.png

Logo for Linkedin. (2013). Linkedin Logo. Retrieved from http://www.nitahelpinghand.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/linkedin- logo.png

Logo for Tumblr. n.d. Tumblr Logo. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Tumblr_Logo.svg

ReferencesLaw. (2013). Gavel picture. Retrieved from http://www.everything-taxidermy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/law.jpg

Internet Security. n.d. Lock and earth. Retrieved from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RVgH8LzKEW4/TsEH6FCpyXI/AAAAAAAAAA0/HzzfbqeAQN4/s1600/internetsecurity.png

Andrews, L. (2012). Facebook is Using you. Sunday Review. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/facebook-is-using- you.html?pagewanted=all&_r=4&

Luckerson, V. (2013). Twitter is Selling Access to your Tweets for Millions. Time. Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2013/10/08/twitter-is-selling- access-to-your-tweets-for-millions/

Marshall, G. (2013). Trusting your private data to Google is like trusting your chickens to Mr Fox. Techradar. Retrieved from

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/trusting-your-private-data-to- google-is-like-trusting-your-chickens-to-mr-fox-1173302

Jmil. (2012). LinkedIn is selling your clicks and violating its own Privacy Policy. Hive76. Retrieved from http://www.hive76.org/linkedin-is-selling-your-clicks-and-

violating-its-own-privacy-policy

References

Nguyen, P. (2013). Social Media Privacy Policy Loopholes You Need to Know About. Hotspot Shield. Retrieved from http://blog.hotspotshield.com/2013/06/2 5/social- media-privacy-concerns/

Kiss, J. (2009). Google introduces targeted display ads on sites including YouTube. Theguardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/mar/11/googlethemedia-google

(2014). Fact Sheet 35: Social Networking Privacy: How to be Safe, Secure and Social. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Retrieved from https://www.privacyrights.org/social- networking-privacy-how-be-safe-secure-and- social#laws

Government/Police Tracking Social Media Users

How our online privacy is non-existent

to the Government.

For years the Government has been spying on our online lives, invading our privacy and taking our personal information. The police is using our daily feeds as evidence in cases, proof of our whereabouts, and digging up dirt on our personal lives. No

need for permission, a reason, or a warrant, everything online is there for them to see. Everything you post on the internet thinking its safe and private, just chatting with friends, you

where wrong!

Government Using Social Media to Spy on People

• Section 5 (1) of the Privacy Act dictates that “a government institution shall, wherever possible, collect personal information that is intended to be used for an administrative purpose directly from the individual to whom it relates except where the individual authorizes otherwise or where personal information may be disclosed to the institution under subsection 8(2)”, which states that “a government institution shall inform any individual from whom the institution collects personal information about the individual of the purpose for which the information is being collected.”

Government Using Social Media to Spy on People• Avner Levin, director of the Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute at Ryerson

University states that "Our government, as a liberal democracy, has to justify why it's collecting any kind of information”

• When we post things on the internet and social media sites we are giving public access to our private live according to the government and they believe they should have just as much access to this information as everyone else.

• David Christopher, a spokesman with OpenMedia, a community-based organization dedicated to protecting online rights, said "When we share on Facebook, we think we're sharing with our friends. We don't think we're sharing everything with some faceless government bureaucrat in Ottawa using our tax dollars to snoop on us“, “It could also be used for law enforcement or shared with other government departments”

Our Privacy-The Truth

• Interim privacy commissioner Chantal Bernier says "we are seeing evidence that personal information is being collected by government institutions from social media sites without regard for accuracy, currency and accountability.“

• In April of 2014 Bernier's office revealed that various government agencies have made almost 1.2 million requests for personal information about Canadians from Canada's major telecom companies, often without a warrant.

FBI, DHS, Pentagon, Fed using social media for spying, propaganda

http://youtu.be/fk49s_YGzHA

Online Police Investigations

With all the Social Media traffic, we as users are making it easier and easier for the Police to catch wanted suspects. With just a few clicks and searches, the police can find anything they want. We as social media users post updates, talk to friends, and post pictures and videos thinking its all private and just between friends. Little do we know, we have a few spies on our page.

Though how can the law enforcement make sure they are getting credible information. Some people post things only to show off, of course, many people lie online, which can all lead to potential false arrests.

Arrests due to Secret Police Investigations

In the past few years multiple suspects have been caught in Collier County, Florida, because of their social media activity.

• 30-year-old Brandon Perry was arrested for battery in Collier County after he allegedly bragged about beating up his neighbor on his Twitter page.

• 27-year-old Hector Carrion for Grand Theft. Detectives he posted a picture of puppies for sale, proving he stole a pregnant pitbull and tried to sell her litter online.

• 22-year-old Seth Runyon was on probation, making it illegal for him to have a firearm. Deputies arrested hi after he posted a picture of himself with a 9mm handgun on Facebook.

And this is only the beginning, many of these people were not even suspected of a crime until they posted it on the internet. So now you may ask, how were they found? What made the police look them up? Does this mean everyone is being watched?

Reality of Law Enforcement and Social MediaWith all the recent and growing social media activity, tracking down

criminals is becoming easier every year. "When you post something online, you really do so at your own peril," says Collier County Judge Robert Crow. Social media is helping law enforcement crack down criminals because of their lack of realization that the internet is anything but a private place to talk. Everything you post can be use to convict you of a crime or help the police track you down, take for instance this robbery case which reached a dead end. One detective decided to check if he had Facebook, of course he did and his profile was completely unsecured. He had updated that he was at a local club, with no surprise he was apprehended at the club.

• http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/the-new-inside-source-for-police-forces-social-networks/#!bozoZz`

Police Reaching Out to Social Media Users

Law enforcement officials are not only spying on us and looking through our private information. They are reaching out to social media users to do the work for them. For example, in Albany, New York it was announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo that the New York State Police will set up a Facebook account to reach out to the public. There Facebook page will have post like:

• Occurring crimes in the state

• Missing persons

• As well as information on wanted persons which encourages the public to inform the police with and leads.

-www.facebook.com/nyspolice

Law Enforcement Violate Laws to Get InformationThough not all forms of obtaining information is done legally,

even by law enforcement officials. As Christina Sterbenz at Business Insider reports, “It's no secret cops use social media to monitor the public, but it might surprise you that they create fake Facebook profiles to nab criminals — in direct violation of the website's terms of service”. “More than 80% of the responding officials said social media was a valuable tool for crime-fighting and that “creating personas or profiles on social media outlets for use in law enforcement activities is ethical.””

The NYDP is okay with the idea and is encouraging this concept, the so called “alias” must be registered before use. So it is okay for law enforcement to break social media privacy laws but not the rest of the public?

Law Enforcement Violate Laws to Get Information (continued)

• The NYDP even goes as far as using pictures of young women in their aliases, in order to spy on criminal as reported by the New York Times.

• By using these aliases, the police believes that they can get clues of the whereabouts of “potential” criminals.

• In a 2012 survey, of 1,221 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies n New York, four of five admitted to using social media for investigations.

• Though these “aliases” are in direct violation of Facebook’s terms of service, which states that users may not "provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission."

Social Media Investigations Spreading

This is not only a growing issue in North America, using social media in order to catch criminals is a spreading topic. Police departments all over the world are not turning to social media as a device to solve crimes. Though this can be a useful tool, some crimes are just “stumbled upon due to peoples lack of intelligence as in these few cases.

• A man in India was recently arrested for trying to sell his grandson on Facebook,

• A woman in Oklahoma was arrested for trying to sell her children via the social network

• A teen was taken into custody after bragging about a boozed up hit-and-run on Facebook

• A British man who stole $130,000 of jewellery and had fled the country later returned to the U.K. using a different name, but posted pictures of his return online and was tracked down.

Social Media Being Used Positively

Yes, the government and law officials may be spying on us to gather information, but it does have a positive side to it. In cases of large organizations such as the Olympics, social media is used to keep everyone safe and stop any illegal activity.

Keywords used on the internet would be used to alert the police of any possible conflict. Police presence would be then increased in those areas. If anyone were to plans something on the location of the Olympic stadium or its city, law enforcement would be notified and precautions would be taken. On many occasions, this tactic was used to prevent conflicts from arising.

In Conclusion

Indeed the government may be spying on us, the police may be disobeying laws to get to criminals, our privacy may be invaded, and no one would even have to find out, and of course the occasional false arrest. In the long run though, the idea of the government breaching our privacy isn’t for any no good reason.

Due to this breach of privacy, criminals are being taken off the streets, cold cases are being solved, and surprisingly, thanks to the internet, the world has the ability of becoming a safer place. Not only this but thanks to the large police activity online, we as users can be informed of potential dangers we can encounter not only but in our own neighbourhoods.

Refrences

• http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/government-snooping-on-social-media-may-breach-privacy-act-1.2636905

• http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/chantal-bernier-says-ottawa-snooping-on-social-media-1.2635998

• http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/11/29/social_media_to_be_monitored_by_federal_government.html

• http://www.nbc-2.com/story/20075876/social-media

• http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-new-york/plattsburgh/state-police-to-use-social-media-to-make-arrests/24305266#!boyVWK

• www.facebook.com/nyspolice

• http://www.businessinsider.com/police-make-fake-facebook-profiles-to-arrest-people-2013-10

• http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/the-new-inside-source-for-police-forces-social-networks/#!bozoZz

• http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/p-21/page-2.html

• http://youtu.be/fk49s_YGzHA

Privacy and JobsEmployers “googling” their future employees.

INTERNETInternet is an interlink between different servers all around the world. The DNS-driven World Wide Web, the overlay which we surf today was officially launched in 1983.

More specifically the first TCP/IP WA network was came operational on January 1’1983.Originally it was a university network constructed by NSF(National Science Foundation) of

United States of America which later became NSFNet

On a bigger margin it was renamed as World Wide Web and the first website was launched in March 15’1985 as SYMBOLICS.COM.

A website is like a front view of a server(computer) just like a house and it is rendered using different web development languages which is presented using an internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.

As internet itself is a network of different computers where everybody is connected similarly to designate users identity social media came into play.

SOCIAL MEDIASocial media is users participating in social networking using websites and applications to create or share content with each other.

Most popular social networking websites:

• Facebook launched Feb’04 (Personal/Social Networking)• Twitter launched Mar’06 (Fan Following)• LinkedIn launched Dec’02 (Professional Networking)• Pinterest launched Mar’10 (Business Ideas)• Google Plus+ launched June’11 (Social Networking and Identity Service)

Other websites are Tumblr, Instagram, VK, Flickr, Myspace, Meetup, etc.

SOCIAL MEDIA MASKS OFF APPLICANTHR of companies frequently go through applicant Social Networking profiles

What they are most interested in verifying:• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information.• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs.• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients.• Candidate showed poor communication skills.• Candidate made discriminatory comments.• Candidate lied about qualifications.• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer

What FaceBook checks provide employersFacebook after all the privacy options available on social networking profiles still shares some information to the 3rd parties such as employers, Social media analysis corporations, government, etc.

• Candidate’s publically shared statuses denoting thinking patterns and thoughts• Candidate’s publically shared pictures denoting daily activities• Candidate’s travelling history• How much time he/she spends on FaceBook

What LinkedIn checks provide employersLinkedIn shares employees one kind of bio data which allows them to connect to other similar professional in or around their professional network. If LinkedIn accounts of users/applicant profile shares some information publically then it would be:• Candidate’s Education Summary• Candidate’s Professional Experience• Candidate’s past professional projects• Candidate’s recommendations by professionals denoting how they

performed when they worked together into some projects• Walk-through through candidate network connections ad group they

followSkills of applicants and endorsements other professional made which they may be capable of

• Different Languages they speak and their language levels

Photo sharing also have a storyIn jobs related to photography, movie shooting, modelling photographer, etc. applicants provide their photography portfolio but social photo sharing profile s addresses an extra look to applicants profile.Photo sharing profiles examples are Instagram, Flickr, 500PX, PhotoBucket

• Show’s candidate presence of mind while shooting pictures• Presents a big image about applicant’s skills• Also shows editing skills• Also describes their online buzz and fan following over the internet• Sometimes it describes how much safety and disciplined applicants were while taking pictures• Also points out candidate’s attraction towards specific topics and aspects of photography

Technical Aspects StandardsDifferent Blogs over the internet such as personal websites, WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger etc. describes applicants interest and projects they worked which also links to their online projects such a websites . Online question and answer site for professional and enthusiast programmers such as W3Schools, StackOverFlow, StackExchange, adobebc, etc. also have a lot to say• Specific technical knowledge aspects about programming

languages• Presents how applicants answers to different problems• How applicant approaches solutions • How much ranking and rating do they get back from other

students and professionals on the network

What Employee Rights Restricts :

• Candidate’s Birthplace, ancestry, ethnic, place of origin• Candidate Sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family

status• Candidate’s age• Candidate’s Race, Color• Candidate’s religion, creed• Candidate’s education (e.g. questions that denote age,

place of origin, etc.• Candidate’s disability• Candidate’s membership in other organizations

The following categories have restrictions on what can legally be searched by an employer

Employers Cyberbullying Employees • Cyberbully is an aggressive, unethical and inappropriate sense

of behavior that happens repeatedly with the bully feeling a sense of empowerment through cyberspace

• Online Shaming is a form of cyberbully, it is defined as “the violation of someone’s privacy with the express purpose of humiliating the targeted person through discredit

• Employers out there expressing their feelings towards their employees is an act of online shaming

• According to Stats Canada, 7% of adult have been a victim of cyber-bullying at some point in their life

• -The most common form of cyberbullying in a workplace is through email, text messages, and the internet

• - Online shaming or any other forms of cyberbullying is a disgrace and a violation to our identities

• - Bullies performs such act, in hoping to show power towards the victims

The Past, Present, and Future of Employment • Couple of decades ago, technology was not as commonly used as today,

thus jobs were more hands on, and physical • Some of the jobs back before the internet become popular were librarian,

railroad and transportation workers, FedEx/UPS delivery, and teachers• Nowadays, jobs such as app developer, gaming designer, market data

researcher, social media manager are becoming more popular and higher in demand due to the technology advance

• As of right now, there are companies out there hiring people just to search through their online profiles and social networking sites

• Assuming this trend continues, the future of employment that will be high in demand will involve careers more on the technological side such as social media manager, and app developer (Future Jobs)

• The use of technology is constantly evolving, and trying to pop our privacy bubble which new and innovative ways

• As technology continues to advance, employer will find new, easier, and faster way to do background check on future employees even though it is violating their privacy

Privacy of Social Media Most popular social media in today’s society are Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram

• According to CBC News, 68 percent of students believe that if a website has a privacy policy, it won’t share their personal information.

• Many social media users are not aware of what kind of information a 3rd party user can obtained even if their privacy settings are on

• User risked their identities being used by posting information on social networking like Facebook and Twitter

• Cyber footprint is constantly being tracked by social media. • Facebook and other social network uses cookies, and

javascript to track your cyber footprint• Clickable links on social media may contain malware that will

steal all your information from your computer without your permission

How Employers should research Be coherent. Employers should do social networking research to check all job applicants for all positions or they should not use it at all.Tell applicants in advance that they will be looking on internet and at social media sites as part of the application process.Assign someone who is not the top decision maker as the social media researches help to ensure the decision making and does not know about legally protected information.Decide what information about applicants you are looking for online and provide your social media researcher with specific instruction on reporting back this information only. (such as employer history, any negative work related post, etc.Do not access any applicants' social media profile or webpage through venal or delusory means.Consider the accuracy and validity of the information before making any decision.

Employee Tips for safe social networkingFacebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and other social networks have become an crucial part of our internet browsing. Social networks are a great way to stay connected with others. Employees should be aware about how much personal information they post online

• Once posted on internet, stays on internet – Be careful while posting anything

• Online Reputation can be a good thing – Be honest while sharing something

• Keep your personal information personal – If you can’t keep your secrets to yourself, don’t expect others to do different

• Manage privacy and security settings carefully – These settings were made for a reason, be sure about what you share and with whom you do

• Manage and know friends and people in your network – Unknown and fake identities in network are like spies and scams

• Never post anything negative – Writing wrong describes you personality and your character

• Don’t post unauthorized stuff – Things such as employers concealed information about upcoming or future products

• Use pseudonyms on virtual world – there have been cases of young players getting molested in real world due to giving hard time to others players virtually.

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140418011645-949502-are-you-facing-social-media-risks http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-how-facebook-is-tracking-your-internet-activity-2012-9?op=1 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/110915/dq110915c-eng.htm http://www.cucirca.eu/modern-family-season-4-episode-20-flip-flop/ http://www.theaggie.org/2014/02/14/social-media-can-impact-future-employment/ http://allisondillon.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/10-jobs-that-no-longer-exist/http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/05/11/10-jobs-that-didnt-exist-10-years-ago/

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/backgroundcheck/a/social-networking-checks.htm

References