Somebody's Watching Me...And I Got No Privacy

By: Rhianna Dozier

Privacy is a gift that is taken advantage of every time people open a social media app. If I asked you how many sites people could track and find you on, could you tell me? Would you even know or remember where you put your personal information? You know that old saying, "the government is always watching?" Well, they aren't the only ones. Take social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook uses your personal email to log in and has your phone number and birthday on your profile. Similarly, LinkedIn has your phone number, email, location, educational background, and any job or accomplishment you have ever received. Might I add that both these profiles are open to the public where everyone can easily click away at your personal "private" life. 

People are becoming more and more skeptical about the security of information on social media. In fact, "some 80% of social media users said they were concerned about advertisers and businesses accessing the data they share on social media platforms, and 64% said the government should do more to regulate advertisers" ("Americans' Complicated Feelings About Social Media in an Era of Privacy Concerns"). Whenever you go to an external website, you are opening your phone or computer to a world of hackers and advertisement pop ups. In addition, "a social network may have agreements with certain websites and applications that allow them access to public information of all users of the social networks" ("Social Networking Privacy: How to be Safe, Secure and Social").    

Privacy policies can change even after a user has already made an account. Privacy policies only protect people from the social media site they are using. However, they do not protect people from third-party applications that interchange with the site. To prevent this common problem, I would create a strong password you do not use on any other social media site. I would also use false security information. For instance, if it asks for an email, create a new one separate from your life. If it asks for information about your mother's maiden name or your father's middle name for security, always give a fake answer so that it cannot be traced back to your family.  

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/27/americans-complicated-feelings-about-social-media-in-an-era-of-privacy-concerns/
https://privacyrights.org/consumer-guides/social-networking-privacy-how-be-safe-secure-and-social