Privacy on social networks

1. Privacy on social networks BY: Elizabeth, Jordynn, Justine, Aileen

2. Introduction • Thesis: Due to posting excess information on social networks one is able to access another’s private information. • Cyber stalking • How social networks invade our privacy • Privacy Walls • Identity Theft • Surveillance • Status Updates

3. Cyber-stalking • Cyber stalking is “sending threats or false accusations via email, or mobile phone, making threatening or false posts on websites, and stealing a person’s identity. Sometimes the threats can escalate into physical spaces.” • Majority of cyber stalkers are male • Cyber stalkers victims are usually females from the age of 18-29 • Cyber stalkers are usually anonymous • Cyber stalkers are driven by revenge, jealousy, hate, anger, obsession, and mental illness • Online Stalking leads to real-life stalking • Cyber stalkers can obtain personal information

4. Cyber stalking (cont…) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV_PdCvbKkQ • This video shows the dark side of social media that nobody really seems to see. Patrick Mashoni former classmate of Kristen Pat had an obsession for her. They hadn’t ever met in person, he only had her on an online class and from there followed her on to Facebook. Patrick would send Kristen threatening and disturbing videos of him talking to the camera. It got to the point that he even stood in front of her work and waited for her come.

5. How social networks invade your privacy • Social networks are leaking personal data through Apps through “access tokens” during installation process. • Example: FarmVille • “The “Like”, “Tweet”, and other buttons are social widgets that are used to track users across other social networking sites because it allows them to recognize you on other social sites.” • They place in browsers when a user signs up of logs in. • “Other social network sites use advertisements to track and gather your information by placing ‘cookies’ to see what you are doing. These tracking tools are mainly used on websites for kids and teens.”

6. Privacy walls • Anything you put online is not private • Can access post before and after they are posted • Self-censorship • Users are open targets because even though they may have their accounts on private, they ultimately don’t have privacy from the company/headquarters.

7. Identity theft • Identity theft is not cyber stalking. “An identity thief,whether stealing from a stranger, has a very specific goal in mind – financial gain. Identity thieves are unconcerned by the consequences of their behavior on the victim’s life, whereas the actions of a cyber stalker are deliberate and focused on the consequences to the victim.” • “With the increased global use of social media, there are more opportunities than ever before to steal identities or perpetrate fraud online.” • Everyone her knows that they should never give out personal/private information to anyone, especially online….right? But many social networks ask for it, and we tend to give it out anyway, without realizing the problems it can cause. With that being said there are privacy hackers out there that will and are able to use advanced software’s WHICH allows them to hack into ones valuable information. So to say just by putting your full name, email, and date and birth on any social network cite; the hacker can easily get access to your credit card account and steal your identity; and also use what they have now for their personal wants and needs.

8. Identity theft (cont…) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jXXI3m3tsY • This video show that by putting your personal information on social networks it is not as safe as you think. Lisa Lockwood son was a victim of identity theft, his personal information was taken from him and used against him. Without him knowing provided his personal information to sign up for games online but what he didn’t know was that he was signing up for loan applications.

9. Surveillance • “As certain high school seniors work meticulously to finish their early applications to colleges, some may not realize that comments they casually make online could negatively affect their prospects.” • Some admission committees are invading students’ social networks, and are basically judging their credibility in getting accepted BASED on their private lives outside of school. THERE should not be a boundary between someone’s educational skills and their social decisions. After all, there are many students who do stupid stuff and don’t post it online, and the ones that do…do not know that they are being watched by the committee.

10. Status updates • “Criminals are creating networks of fake online profiles on social networks in order to target, individuals and there homes…” • By creating the fake profile the criminal will then add the victim as a “friend” and then is able to see and respond to every status update they post. For instance, say the victim posts a status that they’re going to Palm Springs for the weekend; THAT allows the criminal to go to the victims house, WHILE they are not home and steal all their personal belongings without even worrying about  them returning anytime soon. SO save yourself the time and always be careful about what you post, and who you are friending on any social network you are involved in.

11. This is a basic status update that someone posted on Facebook. Many people would think that it is ok to post them up. People don’t realize that by posting them up is dangerous for the reasons that they can have a stalker and it automatically show them where they are at.

12. conclusion • With all the research that we have found as a group, we’ve come to understand that social networks doesn’t ensure us of having privacy 100%. There are so many components that come with online sites today and most of it is usually public. Although we can set our accounts to private, anyone with accessibility can somehow see what we’re up to, where we are, and what we post. Situations like cyber stalking, invasion of speech, identity theft, etc., only becomes open enough that anyone who participates on social networks can openly view a person.

13. Q & A • What do you guys think about the need of privacy in regards to social networks ? • Do you guys think it’s possible to have privacy on social sites? • What does privacy mean to you?

14. Work Cited • "Criminals Using Fake Social Media Profiles to Target Victims." Media News. Digital Spy. N.p., 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. • Cyber Stalked College Students Speaks Out. Perf. Cynthia McFadden. Youtube. ABC News, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jXXI3m3tsY>.Cyber • Gross, Tricia. Could Status Updates Put You in Danger? Digital image. Bright Hub. Tricia Gross, 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://www.brighthub.com/electronics/gps/articles/127077.aspx. • Hitchcock, J A. "Cyberstalking." Link - Up, 17.4 (2000): 22. • Lewis, Kent. "How Social Media Networks Facilitate Identity Theft and Fraud ." Eonetwork.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. • Martin, Rebecca, and Cori McCabe, Ms., eds. "Cyberstalking (May 2013)." National White Collar Crime Center (n.d.): 1-8. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. • "Privacy Violations – the Dark Side of Social Media." N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. • Singer, Natasha. "They Loved Your G.P.A.Then They Saw Your Tweets." Nytimes.com. N.p., 9 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. • Social Media Identity Fraud. Perf. Lisa Lockwood. Youtube. CTV News, 21 July 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jXXI3m3tsY>.