Opinion

Social-network Web site users should know rights

It used to be a rite of passage for high school graduates heading to college ‘- find a roommate, sign up for a meal plan and create a Facebook account.’

When the social networking Web site was created Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004, it was open exclusively to Harvard students. In September 2006, Facebook opened its virtual doors to the general public when it allowed anyone with an e-mail address to create an account.

Since then, thousands have found different uses for the site. Parents and their children use Facebook to communicate. Friends separated by thousands of miles use Facebook to keep in touch. Employers even use Facebook to scout potential employees. According to the Associated Press, Facebook has 175 million users, all of whom agreed to Facebook’s terms of use and privacy policy when they created an account.

Consumerist.com brought Facebook under fire Feb. 15 when it pointed out that changes to Facebook’s terms of service would allow the Web site to share information, including messages and photographs, users shared with others through Facebook even after a user’s account is terminated. The article caused such uproar that on Wednesday, Zuckerberg sent a message to users (through Facebook) that Facebook would ‘return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised,’ according to Bit-tech.net. Zuckerberg also created a Facebook group named ‘Facebook Bill of Rights’ to give users a platform to share concerns and ideas regarding ownership of information shared through Facebook.

As more information is shared in the public space of the Internet, it is inevitable that issues about information ownership will arise. Online social networking sites have a definite place and purpose in society, but it is up to individual users to learn how to protect their information. Facebook makes information about its privacy policy available to the public and is by giving its users a voice in shaping the product they use. It is the responsibility of users to stay informed about changes to Facebook’s policies and protest those they find invasive or unfair to ultimately create a better product and resource.

Leave a Comment