In the News
Data exposure and privacy at a social media giant make headlines once again. In Facebook says a bug affecting up to 6.8 million users exposed photos they hadn’t shared, Lauren Feiner at CNBC discusses how third-party apps had access to millions of unpublished photos on the social media platform, Facebook. Feiner explains that by consenting to give third-parties access to one’s photos, the private photos of nearly 7 million Facebook users were affected as well. Facebook will be contacting those impacted by this incident.
Our Take
Social media continues to be a breeding ground for data privacy concerns and data exposures. Though the sites are meant for sharing, the lines between what users have and have not consented regarding their data storage often blur. Many apps and third-parties require access to personal photos or other apps to experience their program fully. Giving this consent may come in the form of explicitly changing your settings, or it may be hidden within the fine print of a contract that many users agree to without thoroughly reading the policies. The frequency of incidents regarding data misuse or ‘shady’ policies has increased user demand for stricter regulations. While government regulations such as those recently passed in the European Union may help companies abide by such practices, individuals must take responsibility upon themselves to use programs that are trustworthy and practice safe digital and social media usage.
Recommendations
How can you protect your private data while using social media?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Know your rights when it comes to data use and storage
- Always back up your data to an external device or cloud service and save important content before you post
- Be mindful of the content you store on your devices and think about its impact if it falls into the wrong hands
- Be aware of default settings on mobile apps and turn on privacy settings as needed
- Stay up to date on recent data breaches and exposures to see if you have been impacted