America has become a culture of “oversharing.” Many of us enjoy posting photos and videos on our many social platforms to show family and friends all of the fun things we are up to. However, some people post information that threatens their privacy and safety without even knowing it. Social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share your life with friends, but it’s important to practice safe social media policy to protect you, your family and your company.
Americans acknowledge that security is an issue on social platforms, as
seen in the below infographic:
Therefore, we need to better educate ourselves to avoid falling victim to
identity hacks that could endanger us.
Social media security is about how you manage and protect your personal
social sites, like adjusting privacy settings, using secure passwords,
eliminating geolocators and limiting the amount of personal information you
share.
Most companies have a social media policy that applies for all employees
and explains guidelines for personal and corporate social media use. Policies
are also set by social networking sites to establish ownership of all posted
content so they can edit or remove any posts that violate the established
policy.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA SECURITY CHECKLIST
The following checklist serves as a guideline for posting on social media
to ensure a safe, private environment to protect you and your network of
followers.
·
Be
careful who you friend – As a general rule of thumb, you should not accept
friend requests from anyone you do not personally know. Even if this person
knows someone in your network, they could be using this relationship to get
access to your personal information.
·
Adjust
privacy settings – It’s important to adjust your privacy settings so
only your friends can view content on your social platforms. You should also monitor what photos, videos
and status updates you are tagged in by others that might expose your personal
information to people outside of your social network.
·
Monitor
and eliminate geotagging – It’s important eliminate as much geotagging on social
media as possible. By giving information about your location, you might be
subjecting your home to break-ins.
·
Protect
your passwords – Do not use a password that could be guessed
easily, like the name of a family member or pet. Hackers can find this
information from your social profile and easily access your account if the
password is easy to predict.
WIRED reporter Mat Honan participates in a video
discussion titled “Avoiding An Online Nightmare: Protecting Identity With
Two-Factor Authentication” during which he explains how easily answers to
security questions on accounts can be discovered, and offers tips for protecting
your identity and accounts online:
Barry Herrin’s “National Labor Relations Board Posts Template Social Media Policy” explains the importance of protecting personal information
online and ensuring that postings are consistent with policies outlined by your
company (2012).
I’m certainly someone who likes to share events and
activities on my social platforms, but after reading more about social media
policy and security I will think twice before I post moving forward.
-----
References
Department of Defense. (n.d.). Social Networking V1.0. United States of
America Department of Defense. Retrieved February 25, 2014 from http://iase.disa.mil/eta/sns_v1/sn/launchPage.htm.
Herrin, Barry (2012, June). National
Labor Relations Board Posts Template Social Media Policy. Legal
HIMformation. Retrieved February 25, 2014 from https://ilearn.marist.edu/access/content/attachment/7b6afcbb-f4aa-4003-8245-7ffb76fca959/Forums/920d8500-225a-4e8a-a57a-72031ec872ed/NLRB%20Social%20Media%20Policy%20Template.pdf
NBC News (2013, March 24). 3 Tips to Protect Your Online Identity And
Accounts Inside Dateline. Retrieved February 25, 2014 from http://insidedateline.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/24/17402115-3-tips-to-protect-your-online-identity-and-accounts?lite
Hey Kristin, you list a bunch of important items to consider when using social media. While watching the Department of Defense’s module, it made me realize that I definitely need to be more careful about the types of things I post online. I tend to "check in" to a lot of places when I’m out with friends or traveling. I never realized this could make me a victim since I see so many other people check in to places too.
ReplyDeleteAs a marketer, I tend to see more of the positive side to social media as opposed to the negative. Sure, we may get a few negative posts and tweets, but this allows us to understand what we are doing work and how we can fix things. When it comes to your personal account, you can be exposed to an array of negative actions. As Qualman (2013) mentioned, “Sure many still have the desire to put their deepest and darkest thoughts and behaviors into a black box, but they are less likely to be able to keep their actions secret” (p. 30). So even if you don’t post these items, your friends or acquaintances can post something incriminating that can put you in trouble.
Out of all the items that you listed, what do you thing is the most important security item to consider when using social media?
Resource:
Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business, 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Amanda,
DeleteI've had to deal personally with the issue of friends and acquaintances posting inappropriate things with my name attached. The problem, in my experience, is often that these friends aren't as concerned with social media privacy and don't feel they need to filter themselves online.
What suggestions can you offer for someone in that situation who is trying to ask the friend to remove the inappropriate post/photo/etc.? Is there a certain etiquette to follow?
Kait
Hi Amanda - I think all of the security items listed have similar weight in terms of importance. I think it's really more important about "being smart." I think Adrienne Sabilia has a great quote on her blog post - "Don't post anything you wouldn't want written on the bathroom walls!"
DeleteIf we think back to our discussion about posting on forums, we see that constructive posts can be a positive for companies on sites like TripAdvisor, Angie's List and Yelp. It can teach them how to adjust their current IMC efforts and offer them insight into things that might need to be changed about their product or services. However, the same can be true of our personal networks where friends and followers have the power to post anything on our feeds and walls without our consent. We must protect our personal brand in the same way that companies do on these social sites. To Kait's point, what are your recommendations for monitoring and addressing these comments on your social pages?
Thanks for the shout-out, but let's give credit where credit is due, it's all my mom's saying!
DeleteKristen - excellent point about a friend's ability to overshare on your behalf. Or - share something that could be damaging to your brand / reputation. It reminds us that we not only have to be watchful of the content we own, but the content other attribute, or associate with us.
My recommendation for addressing those types of comments would be to remove the offensive comment, regardless of the reaction of your "friend". At the end of the day - you are responsible for what is posted there, and have the right to edit / own that content.
If this is a regular occurance - I would suggest taking the "online" conversation "offline." Reach out to this person, and let them know you don't appreciate that type of content on your wall, for whatever reason. It feels a little "Dear Abby"-ish, but sometimes you just need to address something head on!
Hey Adrienne, I agree with your suggestions. I think the first thing to do, as I mentioned in a comment on my blog post, is to check your privacy settings on the social networking sites you use. Facebook has settings so that you have to approve something a friend posts before they can tag you or mention you in a post. This would avoid that scenario entirely.
DeleteAnd to Adrienne's point, you should definitely address this issue in person. I'm sure we've all seen how easy it is to get into a heated argument online. I would discuss the topic and mention examples as to why you would like her to remove the post.
As Qualman (2013) said, "the key message is don't put anything on social media that you don't want the whole world to know about, because eventually, one way or another, the world will know about it" (p. 99).
Resource:
Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business, 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Adrienne and Amanda - both great suggestions. I agree that it is best to contact the poster in person to make sure removing the post is not taken the wrong way.
DeleteAmanda - I wasn't aware of the privacy setting where you can approve content friend's post. I'm so glad you brought it up! I think this is a tool that everyone should apply on their social pages to keep them in control of the dialogue.
Kristin,
ReplyDeleteYou mention something that I think is very important, and also one of the reasons that we need to have such discussions about social media privacy: "America has become a culture of oversharing."
But, as we've learned this week - and as you cover in your post - that oversharing can lead to serious security issues.
At what point do you think education regarding social media privacy should begin? You mention that many companies implement social media policies, but is that too late to educate someone on the risks involved with using these networks?
Kait
Hi Kait - Interesting point! I commented a similar question on Amanda's blog. The truth is, it's going to be really difficult to break people out of the habit of "oversharing." The Huffington Post explains this addictive element of social media saying “On the soapbox of so-called social media, everyone's better, sexier, brainer -- an actual living avatar of themselves that exists only in the daydream realm of fantasy” (Furney, 2014).
DeleteUnfortunately, once someone adopts this behavior it’s very difficult to go back. I think it’s important to start teaching mobile and social media security and privacy from a young age. Parents typically give youngsters a handset at 11 as they start secondary school and one in 10 children is given their own mobile phone at the age of five (Sayid, 2013)! The majority of these cell phones are smart phones that have access to social media. Therefore, we should start educating kids in grammar school about social media and internet safety before they develop the bad habits of our generation. What do you think? Do you think there would be backlash from parents and administration?
Kristen
-----
References:
Furney, Ruki (2013, August 23). Children given mobile phones at average age of 11 but some get them at FIVE. The Mirror. Retrieved February 26, 2014 from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/children-given-mobile-phones-age-2208432#ixzz2uSJHY3uO
Sayid, William J. (2013, January 29). The Social Media Fetish. The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2014 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-j-furney/the-social-media-fetish_b_4681200.html
Wow Kristen. I was stunned when I saw you mention that 10% of children get phones at the age of 5.
DeleteMy response to Kait's inquiry aligns with yours: It's never too early to start the conversation with your children about appropriate online behavior.
The American Association of Pediatrics offers some good advice about how to handle these situations.
Mike
Yes, it's a very alarming statistic. We talked about educating children about online safety and privacy, but what about the parents? What do you think we should be doing to educate parents about appropriately monitoring their child's social activity without taking away too much of their privacy? This is certainly a touchy subject, so what do you think the three key my messages should be to parents?
DeleteYes! Early education is key. We do some educating at the college level, but many of that education is reactive, rather than proactive. Like you, Mike, I am shocked that some children receive phones at age 5!
DeleteThis article is a few years old, but touches upon some good statistics that give insight as to why we overshare: FOMO. Qualman, calling it "Braggadocian Behavior," explains it as a "competition of who's doing the coolest thing" (2013).
What I've found is that this is especially true among the college students I work with and the fresh-out-of-college adults I call my peers.
We're talking about educating people about the dangers of social media, but it also seems that different age groups might require different tactics. Mike's article with advice for parents of children is a good resource; what advice would you offer for parents of teens?
Great work so far!
Kait
Forgot to add my Qualman reference; whoops!
DeleteQualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
As the parent of a teen, my first piece of advice is simple -- lock them in a room with no electrical devices as often as you can.
DeleteOK, just kidding...
In thinking about this, I come to three suggestions:
1. Talk to your kids!!! Social media isn't the issue in most cases. The issues instead are things like privacy, bullying, privacy, shyness, depression, cliqueiness (that must not be a word because spell check doesn't like it but I don't know how to say it otherwise). Social media and networks are just the latest venue these are being played out. The same issues come on the bus, in the locker room, etc.
2. Miller (2011) wrote about parents and the participation gap. It's best if we know about our children's online personas and the activities they are undertaking. For our son, the rule was: You can use it, but your first friends will be your Mom or your Dad. The key, though, is talking about it. Spying on them can probably work, but really turns out to test trust between parents and children if the spying is found out.
3. Model the best behavior you can. Like in so many things with parenting, children pick up more on what you do than what you say. By modeling good practices, answering questions that arise, etc., the example you set has a better chance to become their norm.
Mike
Smith, M. (Jun 2011). Commentary: Safe use of social media: Guidance for parents. Harvard Health Publications. The Harvard Mental Health Letter, Boston, MA: Belvoir Media Group, LLC.
I think children need to be educated on social media security probably starting in middle school, because that's when most children I think have their own phone. Once they have their own device that connects to the internet, they need to be heavily monitored and given strict guidelines to follow. If parents are not technology savvy, they need to sit in on a class also. It's very important everyone understands the seriousness of social media, it's not all fun.
DeleteGreat suggestions, Mike and Andrea.
DeleteI actually know a few parents who only grant their teens access to social networks if they agree to be "friends" with the parent. Good way to monitor, though some privacy settings enable the savvy-user to circumvent this.
Overall, looks like the theme all around is education, be it for kids, teens, college students or working professionals. I've often found the best way to really show the harm that can be caused by social networks (and the lack of privacy) is to give some solid examples of people it has already happened to.
One good example: Justine Sacco, who was fired while flying to Africa, thanks to her incredibly offensive tweet.
Any other good examples?
Hi Kristen - Great post this week - I agree with your suggestions on privacy - I've even included some of them in my own blog!
ReplyDeleteOne of the particularly grey areas when it comes to privacy is the idea of geotagging. On one side of the discussion - telling the world that you're away from your home / desk / belongings for any period of time makes you more susceptable to invasions. However - the entire notion of Foursquare relies on individuals to be willing to share that information - when they are away from their homes, and where they are now. Fourquare made the bet that not only would that information be valuable amongst personal relationships - but also to marketers & organizations who could tailor special offers to certain locations.
In an article written in Aug 2013 in Fast Company - Foursquare's privacy bet hasn't paid off - "after 4 billion check-ins, plus 35 million users and partnerships with brands such as American Express, Foursquare can't seem to fulfill its promise. It reportedly pulled in a paltry $2 million of revenue last year, and user growth has slowed" (Carr, 2013).
The reason for the lackluster performance? Carr writes - "Crowley's bet, his life's work, has been flawed from the start: Maybe users simply don't like sharing their location the same way they love sharing a photo or a status update" (Carr, 2013).
Do you think that with adjusted privacy settings, Foursquare could still capitolize on the "oversharing" social media market? Is there any motivation big enough, or platform seure enough, that could drive people to share their locations?
My personal opinion? I don't use geotagging. Not on other platforms, and I don't have a Foursquare account. Could I be missing out on local deals? Maybe. But peace of mind is much more valuable. What do you think?
Citations -
Carr, A (2013). "Will Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley finally get it right?" FastCompany. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/3014821/will-foursquare-ceo-dennis-crowley-finally-get-it-right
Hi Adrienne -
DeleteFoursquare is one of the most popular geotagging social apps that based on people sharing their location, consequently opening them to potential safety and security threats. Personally, I only check in to Foursquare if there is a discount associated. For example, if you check in to Houlihans you get a free slider! In these situations, I know the risk but do it anyway. Perhaps more incentives like this would help grow Foursquare’s popularity.
Foursquare is also a great hub for restaurant and hotel reviews, much like Yelp. I personally think Foursquare’s app is much more user-friendly than Yelps, so they might want to shift more of their focus on the review portion. They should also allow people to post reviews at later dates without “tagging” themselves to the location. That way people can still leave reviews without putting themselves in danger. Do you think that would help the success of the platform?
I think asking people to go back into an app, once they've already been there, isn't a great strategy. People want simple - one and done, if you will.
DeleteI honestly think the way Foursquare, or any geotagging platform, will see real, bottom-line / revenue driven success, will be to be embedded into an app people already trust - like FB or Twitter. People already trust those security settings, and it might help to drive the adoption of geotagging behaviors.
What do you, and others commenting, think? Can geotagging platforms stand on their own? Or will they need to be bought by other sites to survive?
This is a tough question. While Foursquare has benefits that Facebook doesn't have (discounts for checking in to places), I don't see it lasting much longer on its own. People want a seamless way to do things - they don't want to have to go here to check in when they can just check in on Facebook.
DeleteThe problem is I foresee Facebook becoming in trouble in a few years. Younger generations use on Facebook is declining because they don't want to be on a site that their parents and even grandparents are on. Also, the lack of privacy is going to be a concern for people.
It will be interesting to see what changes Facebook will make over the years to stay relevant and reengage the younger generations.
I don't think a platform such as Foursquare can survive on its on. I actually forgot about that form of social media until we started this class. I don't really see Foursquare posts on my public feed anymore about people checking into certain places. I do notice that people will check in via Facebook and Instagram, so I think they need the help of other sites for them to be completely successful.
DeleteAh! I must be the only one still using Foursquare. I'm a mission to become the "mayor" of my gym. And really, I couldn't tell you why I want to be the mayor... Foursquare is also building in more features to be more review and suggestion based.
DeleteThey recently changed their privacy settings to give more access to businesses, but some safeguards are available (read here). Is this enough? Are Kristen and I going to remain the only ones who use Foursquare?
Has anyone ever seen the movie "Minority Report" with Tom Cruise? These comments about Foursquare just made me think of this movie because there's a scene where he walks through a public space and some stores and there are interactive holograms that are marketing to him directly via optical recognition.
DeleteHere's a clip to paint the scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiDMlFycNrw
Okay, now that I've geeked out a bit, my point is that these tools sometimes border a fine line of stalking consumers' movements. It's certainly an interesting concept because it engages the consumer and promotes brand advocacy, but there's also the risk of compromising users' security. This movie came out over 10 years ago so it was a bit ahead of its time considering how fast social media has evolved.
Not so far fetched, Tara.
DeleteConsider the coming wave of wearable technology.
As this ZDNet article points out, the introduction of technologies like Google Glass and fitness clothing that broadcasts position and information open us to a wave of new privacy concerns.
Let's focus on Google Glass for a moment, First, you could foresee users of Google glass, unknowing to those around them, shooting video and taking photos of the world around them -- and collecting information on others that they could later, either on purpose or through carelessness, share with others.
Then, there is the "Minority Report" concept. I'm wearing my Google Glass walking down Main Street. As I near different retail outlets, coupons and promotions start appearing in my lens because they've been able to track my geographic location and, through interplay between services like Google Play, Google +, and Google Maps, matched those preferences with my purchasing patterns, social posts and more.
If you think closely about it, it could get to be positively Orwellian.
Mike
Kait, I didn't know you they were adding in features to be more reviews and suggestion based. That sounds like a good idea. That's definitely something that would make me sign up. I like looking up reviews on places before I decide to visit them.
DeleteHi Kristen, you listed some great points, a couple I also included in my blog post. I particularly liked how you mentioned geotagging. So many of the social media sites has the option to list where you are posting from. Even when I take pictures on my iPhone I can have it add the location on where the picture is taken….Speaking of iPhone, the "Find my phone app" comes to mind. Even though it's a great thing to be able to track my phone if it's lost or stolen, I keep this option off because I don't want my every move to be tracked. It's scary, phones even keep track on areas that you frequent the most.
ReplyDeleteHey Andrea, I completely agree with the "Find my phone app." I liked knowing I would be able to find my phone if I somehow lost or misplaced it, but it also worries me that someone out there could be tracking me.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of parents that have similar apps, so they can track where their children are at any time. Long gone are the days when teenagers can lie to their parents about where they are going.
Great post Kristen! I find it very interesting how many people have written about geotaging. Although I can see the danger here I am surprised by how many examples of people having problems with it though.
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, I read about a member of Justin Beiber's staff who was charged for inciting a riot by posting that Justin Beiber was at a mall and hundreds of people came and there was a literal stampede.
Hi Daniel - Thanks for taking a look at my blog! I think you make a really interesting point about celebrity security on social media. These are people who are almost constantly being tracked for their location, so it's shocking that one of his own staffers would leak a false location. Just like other corporations, it's important for people to have a social strategy around their own brand. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete