Image Credit: rpongsaj via Flickr
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about privacy, especially when it comes to the Internet. The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, even claimed that he “knows people don’t want privacy“. Uhhh, excuse me? I think everyone (including Millennials) wants at least a little privacy, and I wonder exactly how many people believe we don’t.
As Facebook has grown, it seems as though privacy is becoming more and more non-existent. Back in 2007, Facebook announced that it would make profiles searchable on Google. To opt-out, the process was simple and users were given plenty of notice and time to do so. Over time, profiles are more public and Facebook has become less considerate about users’ desire for privacy. When the new privacy policy was revealed, friends and Information were made public, without a way to change the settings. Facebook even shares your personal information with Third Parties.
In Consumer Reports’s June 2010 State of the Net survey, it turns out that most Internet users are unaware, or just don’t care, about their privacy settings online. 26% of parents on Facebook posted names and photos of their children, but it’s unclear how many of these respondents know just how public that information is. In fact, one in four households with a Facebook account have users who don’t know about or don’t care to use Facebook’s built-in privacy controls.
In order to get a better understanding of how much personal information Millennials are willing to put in the Internet, I created a poll. It was simple, and not meant to be on a large scale, but I just wanted a quick idea of how members of The Next Great Generation feel about Internet privacy. Of the people who answered, they were most willing to put their name, pictures, interests, jobs, and personal opinions on the Internet. Not surprisingly, few people were willing to put their address or telephone number on the Internet. Also, most respondents are willing to make purchases with their credit cards online. Like me, it seems like they don’t think much about online purchases. In fact, there were even a few people who responded that they would use their social security number via the Internet.
Personally, I feel as though I’m pretty comfortable putting a lot of things on the Internet. I use Facebook everyday, post pictures, comments and share personal information. My Twitter is public, and I even have a copy of my resume on my website. However, I make it a point not to include my address or phone number. I really don’t mind having my contact information on the Internet, as long as it’s no more personal than my e-mail address. As I’ve told many friends before, “I live my life on the Internet”.
Also, I think nothing about purchasing things online. Some people are still skeptical about the process, but as long as I’m buying from a reputable company, it doesn’t even faze me. One time, however, my personal information from a purchase I made wound up on a random website and a friend found it. I had no clue how or why my information was out there and it definitely freaked me out. Had I gone too far?
I know that I probably put too much information on the Internet, but it isn’t something I constantly worry about. Even something as simple as my name and birthday can be used to steal my identity. And yet, I barely bat an eyelash when it comes to sharing information via social networks. All of this just makes me wonder, how much personal information is even safe to put on the Internet? Sometimes it seems like no matter what people can find a way to abuse your personal information.
What are your thoughts on Internet privacy?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by edwardboches, McKenzie Lawton, Susan H., Stuart Foster, NextGreatGeneration and others. NextGreatGeneration said: NEW POST: Can I Have Some Privacy Please? http://bit.ly/b6bI8Z #tngg [...]
The fatalist view of “sometimes it seems like no matter what people can find a way to abuse your personal information” kinda scares me a bit, but I suppose that is the same rationale young people use to accept mortality (if I die, then I die). The older you get, the less willing you are to give it up so easily.
The people who are most willing to out their information like SSN and other personal information have most likely never been the victim of identity theft. The double whammy of ID theft is nobody else in your peer group cares. They all will have no idea the level of victimization and despair to which you will be subjected. Nor do you when it first happens. Many people believe that a simple phone call and letter will take care of the “misunderstanding.”
But it doesn't. And the only people who attach any importance to your uncreditworthiness now is nobody; except a potential employer, the sheriff's department, all banks, credit card issuers, insurance companies, the IRS — essentially the people who can and will shut down your ability to live safely and make a living.
So that is kinda the big deal about privacy. There are no laws or cultural sympathy that help you when someone else has co-opted YOU for their own selfish gains, then thrown you away when your identity has become worthless. And you will continue to shrug and say, “what's the big deal” until the big deal has cut you and your entire life down to a nobody with one cut and paste.
People like Mark Zuckerberg mistake privacy for openness and they trade and prey on our need as human beings to be a part of something larger than just ourselves. We want to share info, we want to make it easy to connect to others and others to us. Doing so should not also be giving permission to marketers to hound us with sales pitches 24/7 or criminals to steal our identities and eventually our souls. Building a Facebook to the size it is now is akin to setting up an oil rig without safety devices, saying “that thing will never blow up.”
Oops.
I'm not too worried about anything that doesn't allow people to hunt me down or steal my identity showing up online. As long as I trust the site, I don't worry about putting my credit card information or SSN (in very rare occasions, like job applications) online — but, then again, I've never had my identity stolen. I'm sure I'd be a lot more leery if I had.
I guess it is a little strange to think that someone could find out so much about me online based on my website, Facebook profile, etc. — but that's kind of the nature of the beast. And I'm also careful to protect or not put up anything I wouldn't want the wrong people to see.
I think you said it perfectly when you said that people like Mark Zuckerberg confuse openness with privacy. I think that a lot of people do too, in fact. Sometimes even I do. I'm more than willing to open up and tell people who I am, just not as comfortable with giving our personal identification information like my SSN.
Thank for your response!
I completely agree. I've only used my SSN online when it came to applying for college and financial aid related things. I wouldn't use my information through a site that looks illegitimate. And I agree, it is a bit scary thinking that anyone in the world can find out so much about us from something like a Facebook page, but we all put that information out there willingly. Thank for the response!
[...] McKenzie Lawton: (TheNextGreatGeneration.com) “Personally, I feel as though I’m pretty comfortable putting a lot of things on the Internet. I use Facebook everyday, post pictures, comments and share personal information. My Twitter is public, and I even have a copy of my resume on my website. However, I make it a point not to include my address or phone number. I really don’t mind having my contact information on the Internet, as long as it’s no more personal than my e-mail address. As I’ve told many friends before, “I live my life on the Internet”….I know that I probably put too much information on the Internet, but it isn’t something I constantly worry about. Even something as simple as my name and birthday can be used to steal my identity. And yet, I barely bat an eyelash when it comes to sharing information via social networks.“ [...]