Facebook and networking go hand in hand in todays business and marketing worlds. Those who use Facebook to market their wares do so under the knowledge that there are pros and cons connected with that platform. In a recent presentation, network member Cormac O'Kelly of socialmediamanagement.ie provided the network with the latest news and information on networking on the web.
Social networking sites like Facebook depends on millions of people voluntarily divulging accurate personal information. But in a world where identity theft is a growing concern and spammers cannot wait to get their hands on your email address, how do you take advantage of what Facebook has to offer for promoting your business while minimising risks to your personal information? This blog post explains Facebook’s privacy issues and gives you strategies for staying safe – from up-front planning to adjusting privacy settings to after-the-fact damage control.
Facebook An Overview
If you are connected to the internet, you should be concerned about your privacy. Surf the web – privacy risk. Use email – privacy risk. The sad truth of it is that there are a lot of bad guys out there, and your personal information is worth a lot of money to some of them. Even virus-protection and firewalls cannot always protect you and keep bad things from happening to you. And whilst Facebook promises to do it all it can to protect the personal data you add to your profile, mistakes happen. If you would like to read Facebook’s privacy policy, click here.
If you are like most people your personal info is stored in lots of databases (your bank, your supermarket and so on). But what is unique about Facebook’s cache of personal data is that it includes intimate details (like your views on politics, religion and relationships), that are tied to a picture of you (your profile picture), and that it links you to other people – all of whom have also divulged lots of intimate details – and that it tracks your activities online. This combination of identifying details, an image, and a detailed map of your social habits is what makes Facebook social interesting and compelling – but also so potentially dangerous. Theoretically somebody could find out what town you live in, where you plan to be next Tuesday night at 8pm (a club meeting that you RSVP’d to on Facebook) and that you are involved with a lot of charities. Armed with your picture, that person could show up claiming to be your long lost cousin and wanting a loan of money!
The trick is to balance the benefits you get from using Facebook and the internet in general with the risk of losing control of your private information.
Privacy Threats
Some of the privacy threats associated with Facebook re the same that many online companies face, such as reports that the Facebook source code (the raw programming information that powers the site) was once leaked onto the internet, potentially giving hackers access to Facebook users personal data. And, of course, any information you send via the internet is vulnerable to interception. But there are other Facebook-specific threats too:
Third Party Application Developers and other Facebook Partners.
Before you can use a Facebook application, you must grant the person or the company who created it access to your personal data as well as – in many cases – the personal data of all your friends. Once you grant that access, control of your (and your friends) personal data is out of Facebook’s hands. If the applications creator misuses your information, the beef is between you and them. Likewise, Facebook’s privacy policy lets the site share your personal details with companies who advertise or sell products on Facebook, and it’s up to those firms to keep your data safe.
People you didn’t think had access to your profile.
If you think that people who only live in your city, attended your alma mater, or work at your company can view your profile, you’re mistaken. Hiring managers, parents, teachers, police officers, and other people who are determined to view your Facebook profile can find a way to do so – either by asking a co-worker or a friend who happens to be a member o of your Facebook network to look up your information.
People using a Search Engine.
Depending on your Facebook privacy settings, anybody can search your profile information using a search engine such as Yahoo or Google, even if he is not a member of Facebook. Because many of Facebook’s privacy settings are opt out (meaning Facebook assumes you want the whole world to see your personal information until you tell it differently), your information is at risk until your adjust your settings.
Strategies for Keeping Your Information Private
So thats the bad news. The good news is that three simple strategies give you quite a bit of control over keeping your data private.
Don’t put sensitive information on Facebook
You get to choose what sort of information you share on the site, and how much. Data thieves cannot steal your information if you do not make it available.
Customise your Privacy Settings
Much as keeping your front door locked dramatically reduces the chance of being robbed, customising your privacy settings minimises – but does not eliminate – the chance of your Facebook data falling into the wrong hands.
If the worst happens, fight back
If an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend tracks you down on Facebook and starts harassing you, you can shut him or her down by blocking him/her access to your Facebook profile or reporting him/her to the site.
Deciding How Much To Share
How confessional you want to be when you create your Facebook profile is entirely up to you. But here are a few things to consider:
Give Facebook only enough information to get what you want out of the site.
If you plan to use Facebook to find parenting tips, you do not need to share your professional or academic background.
Consider keeping your public and private identities separate.
If you are planning to use Facebook for networking, think twice about posting pictures of your wild weekend in Amsterdam. You don;t have to forego mentions of your personal life completely, but you should limit your personal information to the kind of thing you deel comfortable pinning on the office noticeboard.
Think about creating an email address just for Facebook.
Google and Yahoo allow you to create a free, Web-based email address that you can use to sign up for Facebook. Using an email address dedicated to Facebook protects your work or real home email addresses from accidental or deliberate theft and spamming.
If it’s sensitive and optional, leave it out.
Random people viewing your profile don’t need to know your phone number or home address. If you meet people on Facebook and want share such information you can do so via Facebook messaging.
When in doubt, do the ‘Mum or Boss’ check
If you’d be comfortable telling your mother or boss something, then go ahead and post it to your Facebook profile. If not, skip it!
Facebook does not care how much information you put into your profile, but it does demand that what you share is accurate and truthful. Creating a “Fakebook” – an account with a bogus name and made up profile – can get you banned from the site.
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