Research finds Facebook "privacy" questionable
By Megan Helgeson, writer
February 15, 2008 | 3 p.m.
As college students living in a technology era, they are always on the Internet, but they are more likely stalking Facebook than completing homework. Ohio University researchers examined Facebook’s privacy issues, finding that privacy settings are not enough to keep users safe.
Dr. Bernhard Debatin, director of journalism studies in the Honors Tutorial College (HTC), and HTC students researched the dangers relating to privacy on Facebook for their summer research program. The study was conducted through surveys and in-depth interviews on how important Facebook is to students and how they use it.
Students suggested that Facebook was not too important to them, “although it is important, but they are not aware of it,” Debatin said.
From the research these statistics were found:
• 90 percent of users provide their real names, dates of birth, gender and hometown
• 75 percent protect their profiles
• 40 percent of users have 300 or more friends
Giving personal information, such as your name, date of birth, gender and hometown, does not seem dangerous to the casual observer. However, “your social security number is a combination of your hometown, zip code and date of birth," Debatin said. "Someone who knows how social security numbers are assigned can figure it out.”
Even though a majority of users protect their profiles, “the protection is relatively weak,” Debatin added. The Facebook Web site also states similar information on this fact. “Although we allow you to set privacy options that limit access to your pages, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable,” the Facebook privacy policy states.
When adding friends, many people “do not have criteria” and “usually agree if someone asks to be their friend,” Debatin said.
The Facebook safety page cautions adding friends “you do not know in the real world” and adds that “although using fake names is a violation of the Facebook Terms of Use, people are not always who they say they are.”
New networking features on Facebook are making knowing your friends even more important. One such feature, introduced in November 2007, is Facebook Beacon, “a means of sharing actions you have taken on third party sites, such as when you make a purchase or post a review, with your friends on Facebook,” the privacy policy states.
For example, if you rent a movie from Blockbuster online, “your friends see what you have checked out or bought,” Debatin said.
“It is social marketing that takes advantage that your friends value you and will do something similar,” Debatin said. "It brings in money, but for privacy, it is a disaster.”
At first, Facebook Beacon was an opt-out feature, meaning that users were automatically “drafted in without knowing it,” Debatin said. But in late December, after a Facebook group that assembled 80,000 members was formed protesting the subject, Facebook owners changed it to opt-in, where users can choose to add the feature.
To stay safe when using the site, the Facebook safety page gives these tips:
• Never share your password with anyone.
• Adjust your settings to match your level of comfort.
• Be cautious about posting and sharing personal information.
• Report users and content that violate the Terms of Use at privacy@facebook.com.
• Block and report anyone that sends you unwanted or inappropriate communications.
“Be cautious with your information," Debatin said. "Is it really necessary to have your schedule for classes? And showing your dorm address invites stalking.”
Junior Brittany Hughes, an assistant in the study, seems to think the disadvantages of Facebook outweigh the advantages. “If you don’t have [Facebook], don’t get one,” Hughes said.
“Keep very minimal information, and do not give your birthday,” Hughes said. "For friend lists, think how well you really know the people.”
The moral of the story is to be aware of what information you are providing and who could be seeing that information. Remember, “everyone can join.”
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