Giving Up Your Privacy: 28 Years Late, but Is 1984 Finally Happening?

By Ronni Marshak

I am not a conspiracy theorist, I don’t view the world pessimistically, and I’m not particularly paranoid, but after reading Patty Seybold’s article this week on Facebook privacy and her earlier article on Google’s privacy policies, I’m starting to look over my (virtual) shoulder.

For years, I have been dismayed at the abandon with which people (primarily teens to young adults) have posted very personal and oft embarrassing things on MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube for the whole world to see. I worry that the nasty posts to ex-boyfriends/girlfriends will come back to bite them in the butts. Putting up that photo of yourself carousing with a bunch of drunken friends in Caligula-like costumes will be referenced at the most inappropriate times, like a job interview or a presidential campaign.

But these things are done intentionally. As Patty points out in her article, “The whole point of Facebook is for you to share details of your life with others.” You know you’ve put it out there, whether you considered the consequences or not.

However, the rules have changed—or, rather, they’ve been brought into the light. Information that you think is available only to your nearest and dearest is actually available to the government to see whenever they want. And when you give permission for some company or web site to access your information, you are also giving up the personal info of any of your “friends,” without their permission.

Just this week, I received several emails from a friend, a high school teacher, sent from his work email account. He has a new signature paragraph that I suspect is part of the school’s email domain:

“Please be advised the Office of the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has determined that E-mail could be considered a public record. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. This message may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.”

So, just to be clear, big brother is watching—if he wants to. At least we have warning (which George Orwell’s characters didn’t have in 1984). Optimistically, I don’t (want to) believe that the open sharing we do can turn on us. But we do need to be careful about what we put out there for our friends. Not only is it permanent, it is potentially visible to not-so-friendly eyes.

Unintended Risks of Using Facebook
Pay Attention to What Information, and Whose Information, You Are Sharing with Whom!
By Patricia B. Seybold, CEO and Senior Consultant, Patricia Seybold Group, March 8, 2012