Essay on "What Happens to Privacy in the Age of Facebook"

Essay 14 pages (3867 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Privacy

What happens to privacy in the age of facebook?

Privacy in the age of Facebook

What happens to privacy in the age of Facebook?

In order to answer the question "what happens to privacy in the age of Facebook," we first have to understand what is meant by the "age of Facebook." This means understanding the influences and ramifications of recent developments in online technology and applications and their impact on personal life and social functioning. As one book on this subject notes; "The Internet has grown considerably during the past decade, particularly with respect to its use as a tool for communication, entertainment, and marketplace exchange." (Miyazaki, and Fernandez 27)

From one perspective there is the view that this increase in the freedom and sharing of information has been positive and has helped the growth of commerce as well as education, among others. For instance, industry and commerce have benefited by being able to share information in a much more effective and speedier way than was previously possible. It has also broken down the barriers between nations, cultures and countries and, by so doing, opened up new markets and opportunities.

The Internet has had a profound and far-reaching effect on society and on our daily and business lives. In particular, the modern development in Internet applications and technologies such as Facebook has had an exponential and increasing influence on our lives. In one sense the increase in networking and interactive online applications has meant that social interaction and the positive effects of this interaction have increased. We now have access to information and the online sharing of data and knowledge that was unthinkable even as decade ago. Communication has also become easier and more convenient and extends beyond social, cultural and national boundaries.

The growth of Internet technology has also influenced other sectors of society. The media and journalism have been reshaped and changed and this in turn has also altered our perceptions of society and world events. Another example of the way that "the age of Facebook" has changed our world is the fact that the political system has become more transparent due to the plethora of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace; which also means that the democratic process has been improved. The economic domain has been revolutionized by the advent of advanced Internet technologies and online shopping and commerce is a daily reality. One could also mention education as an area that has been improved by the Internet. This refers to increased access to information, information sharing and the improved accessibility to online courses.

As many critics have pointed out over the past decade, the Internet is therefore nothing short of a revolution in communication and interaction which has many positive aspects and outcomes in our lives. On the other hand, one must also take cognizance of the fact that new technologies also change and alter the way that we perceive ourselves and the world around us.

New technological artifacts often challenge existing social structures by introducing new rules for social relationships. Legal, ethical, cultural, and political infrastructures of society must adjust to the impositions of new technology. Regulatory agencies, legislators, legal institutions, and consumers must adapt to the prescriptions of new technology. Technological innovations also dislocate routine processes and create anxieties for people. Society is forced to redefine old rules or identify new rules for sustaining social relationships. (Ebo 1)

The social network phenomenon, of which Facebook is the prime example, is also known as Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is a term coined by O'Reilly Media in 2003. This term was popularized by a Web conference in 2004 and defined as, "…a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services -- such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies -- which facilitate collaboration and sharing between users." (Internet and Web: Popular Whitepapers) in essence this means that Web 2.0 is an online platform for interconnected and interdependent communication, which also means that there is a greater openness and sharing of information. An important factor that diminishes the positive aspects of Web 2.0 however is that it is this very openness and sharing that makes sites like Facebook vulnerable to various forms of privacy intrusion.

These changes instituted by online technologies have both positive as well as negative outcomes. On the one hand the Internet is a great boon to modern civilization and knowledge. The advent of social networking sites such as Facebook, Foursquare and many others, has opened up new area and tools of interaction and human reciprocity. Networking, weblogs and peer-to-peer systems have created an environment where access to information is fast and easy. This in turn has assisted mangers and organizers by creating a better environment for decision making.

On the other hand the reality is that there are negative aspects to the implementation of internet technology. Among these negative aspects is the issue of privacy and especially of the invasion of privacy through technologies that result in intrusion and invasion of the right to privacy in our contemporary culture.

2. The Issue of Privacy

A debate that has emerged in tandem with the discussion of the positive aspects of the Internet is the issue of privacy. This is an important issue as it relates directly to the conflict between the freedom of information and the ethics of privacy. On the one hand the Internet is all about the sharing of information and access to various types of data. This is often referred to as the democratization of information and is linked to the original online ethos and ideal of open access to all.

The problem is that as online technology and applications have increased in complexity and effectiveness, this has raised other more negative issues. The availability of information and the access to different types of information has also been exponentially increased by the availability of cheaper and faster broadband connections. This in turn has raised questions about the possible infringement of personal rights and the right to privacy in particular. This refers to personal as well as corporate and business privacy. As a result many companies see the Internet not as a boon but as an actual security risk. With the advent of more open and user-friendly online applications, such as Facebook and Twitter, this issue has increased in seriousness. A number of experts state that that the debate on online privacy and the issue of freedom of information vs. privacy should take center stage in modern society.

This problematic contrast between free access to information and the limitations necessary to protect privacy is succinctly summarized in the following quotation.

Information, as we all know, is power. Both collecting and collating personal information are means of acquiring power, usually at the expense of the data subject. & #8230;One need look no further than the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to be reminded that protecting the acquisition and dissemination of information is an essential means of empowering citizens in a democracy. Conversely, at least since George Orwell's 1984 & #8230;the image of the all-seeing eye, the Argus state, has been synonymous with the power to exercise repression. Today, the all-seeing eye need not necessarily belong to the government, as many in the private sector find it valuable to conduct various forms of surveillance or to "mine" data collected by others.

(Froomkin 1461)

The above extract from Froomkin's study on online privacy is quoted at length as it summarizes the concerns that surround the ostensibly positive growth and development of the Internet and social networking sites like Facebook. The concern is that what on the one hand is a positive means of interaction and data sharing can just as easily become the means of intrusion and even invasion into the private life of the individual and the private data of a company. Some suggest that this could also lead to forms of coercion and oppression that are contrary to the ideal of sharing and cooperation on which the concept of the Internet was built.

There are many recent examples of this central concern. One example is the monitoring of employees for efficiency and honesty by management. This can be interpreted as an intrusion of privacy, although the company involved in the monitoring may justify their actions as a means of improving productivity. There has also been concern about private information that is being used by companies and even fraudsters. This also has an impact on behavior in society. "Knowing you may be watched affects behavior. Modern social science confirms our intuition that people act differently when they know they are on Candid Camera -- or Big Brother Cam." (Froomkin 1461)

In essence the above views suggest that the advancement of communication technologies is a double-edged sword. The access to information provided by the Internet, while been seen as a positive advance, also raises questions relating to ethical behavior and the issue of privacy. This concern is related to the question of access by others to our private… READ MORE

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