Dec

31

Social Networks & Privacy

Filed Under Miscellaneous 



The Internet has for a long time been the acid test of ‘freedom of speech.’ But at what price to large numbers of innocent people? Sometimes famous personalities are the objects of Internet video disclosures that are rapidly propagated throughout the globe through sites like YouTube, whose hyperlinks are easily promoted on social network profiles such as MySpace and Facebook. But nearly as frequently, famous public figures are made by the broadcasting of private videos of ordinary people, which are then electronically disseminated and posted and thus transmitted like wildfire to each end of the world. The notoriety which results from lots of these videos or photos being spread so easily can be devastating to the personalities who are exploited by their being passed around. But who is to be held responsible? A person can’t be held accountable simply for passing onward an email or putting up a public link to their Facebook profile.

The Internet and social networking sites are merely a more modern medium by means of which the spread of data has been made easier. Unfortunately, or fortunately, calling on every citizen with access to a computer a qualified reporter with the capacity to reach large numbers of audiences the world over. So it is not the social networks that are to be answerable for this betrayal of personal rights, but society itself. Social culture flourishes on the passing around of tattle and information sharing. So long as you are not the victim, you have no objections forwarding that embarrassing video of a poor boy cavorting around his home making believe to be a rebel fighter from Star Wars (The boy is currently under psychiatric care and has left school, on the off chance that you were puzzled). Websites such as TMZ.com survive only thanks to human longing for tabloid trash and celebrity scandal.

In the same way, we must be aware of the Internet’s infinite possibility, and the nonviability of exercising power over its material. In this day and age, one must be aware that anything they do could be broadcast instantly. With digital cameras, mobiles with movie-making capability and immediate access to YouTube and Facebook, your actions could be passed around to your friends and unknown people alike live-action. We must revisit what is private and what is public, as it is no longer prudent to assume that all we do will remain within our control. Modern methods have a trajectory of their own, and the Internet is a prime example something that can quietly steer away from its intended use and find many more purposes as long as the masses demand it.


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