Social dossiers: Difference between revisions
m (→In the courts) |
|||
Line 81: | Line 81: | ||
* [http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080717_Alleged_DUI_killer_s_MySpace_profile_depicts_youth_consumed_with_money__drugs_and_graffiti.html Alleged DUI killer's MySpace profile depicts youth consumed with money, drugs and graffiti]. Stephanie Farr and Dafney Tales, ''Philadelphia Daily News''. Jul 17, 2008. | * [http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080717_Alleged_DUI_killer_s_MySpace_profile_depicts_youth_consumed_with_money__drugs_and_graffiti.html Alleged DUI killer's MySpace profile depicts youth consumed with money, drugs and graffiti]. Stephanie Farr and Dafney Tales, ''Philadelphia Daily News''. Jul 17, 2008. | ||
*[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jC-5mkxddsdwxCN5_DwfLq3RqPmwD920TQK00 Web networking photos come back to bite defendants]. Eric Tucker, AP. Jul 19, 2008. | *[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jC-5mkxddsdwxCN5_DwfLq3RqPmwD920TQK00 Web networking photos come back to bite defendants]. Eric Tucker, AP. Jul 19, 2008. | ||
*[http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=13440 Court case decision reveals dangers of networking sites]. Evan Wagstaff, Daily Nexus. Feb 28, 2007. | *[http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=13440 Court case decision reveals dangers of networking sites]. Evan Wagstaff, ''Daily Nexus''. Feb 28, 2007. | ||
===Stalking=== | ===Stalking=== |
Revision as of 02:16, 5 August 2008
Study Guide
Introduction
Ideas to consider:
- Availability of Data. (Secure? Private? Is it accessible to anyone? How do you limit information exclusively to its intended audience.)
- Accuracy. (Is there inaccurate data attached to your online identity? Libel/Slander. What if the facts are just wrong?)
- Anonymity.
- "They should have known better than to..."
- Search. Find. Link. -> Repeat. -> Compile: Summary judgment.
- Purpose. Why do people investigate other people? (Ex: Human Resources; Customer/Client/Vendor Relations; Obsession/Stalking; Criminal Prosecution; Civil Litigation;
Data availability
Many websites (especially social media sites) allow users to create personal profiles; a substantial portion of those sites allow their content to be indexed by search-agents, and so any content created while using a site may potentially be located easily through basic search queries. The information that is connected to a particular user varies widely and can include very basic information (name, age, gender, locale, etc.) and/or disturbingly detailed information (e.g. mySpaceUserXX aka "Jane Q. User" is single, bisexual, Hispanic, a Unitarian Universalist, an Aquarius, a self-professed alcoholic, works in Accounting/Finance, graduated from Anytown Community College in 2004, etc.).
Social Media Sites | Types of Information | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Some search providers have even begun to specialize their services to scour popular social networking sites. A user may simply enter part of your identity, such as your name or email address, into a query box, and the search engine returns a listing of potential matches. This makes compilation of your publicly available data frighteningly easy.
Aggregation motives
While new reasons to aggregate a persons data continue to emerge, there are several traditional motivations that seem to be popular. Perhaps the primary of these is the use of social networking data by those people in charge of human resources decisions. HR Managers are interested in hiring the best candidate for a job, and given that a simple web search may reveal substantial amounts of information on a job candidate's background, it's not surprising that focused search services like Spokeo have been developed. But should interviewer's use these services? Is it really fair to bring a job candidate's peripheral social data into an HR decision? In some cases
Potential Interested Parties:
- Hiring: Human resources staff and job interviewers' hiring decisions may be influenced by what search-queries reveal. [1] The legality and ethical issues of unofficial google-stalking of potential job candidates is currently under debate. [2]
- Criminal Prosecution: Prosecutors may use the content you post online to build their case against you; your own social media profile may serve as a character witness against you. [3]
- Business Contacts: Sales professionals constantly distribute their business cards to prospective clients/customers, so it is foreseeable that a lack of understanding of web privacy by a sales representative (that uses social media sites) could lead to disastrous results for themselves or the company they represent.
- Insurance Eligibility: "I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but according to your blog, the following conditions are pre-existing and will require a rider/exclusion for us to even consider giving you a quote..."
- Stalkers: If you have a lot of information publicly available through social networking profiles, then you have no real defensive strategy against potential stalkers accessing that information. Granted, dedicated stalkers would find a way to obtain sensitive information (e.g. course schedules, work schedule, friends' identities) without using the internet, but social media only increases opportunity and ease, therefore the likelihood of attracting stalkers.
Links & Resources
Job Hunting
- Facebook can ruin your life, and so can Myspace, Bebo... Ida Bergstrom, The Independent. Feb 10, 2008.
- Online snooping gets creepy. Anita Hamilton, Time. Aug 2, 2007.
- Employers Using Facebook for Background Checking: Is It Legal? George Lenard, George's Employment Blawg.
- Google-stalking your interviewer is smart. Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Time. May 29, 2008.
- Employers Google Job Candidates, Check Social Networking Web Sites. SmartPros. Aug 8, 2006.
In the courts
- Alleged DUI killer's MySpace profile depicts youth consumed with money, drugs and graffiti. Stephanie Farr and Dafney Tales, Philadelphia Daily News. Jul 17, 2008.
- Web networking photos come back to bite defendants. Eric Tucker, AP. Jul 19, 2008.
- Court case decision reveals dangers of networking sites. Evan Wagstaff, Daily Nexus. Feb 28, 2007.
Stalking
- Stalking by a "high-tech" guy. John Loveall. Stalking Resource Center. 2005.
- Facebook makes it easy to "profile stalk". David Sarno, Los Angeles Times. Aug 21, 2007.
- The Use of Technology to Stalk from the Stalking Resource Center.
Privacy Resources
- Beyond the Job Interview: Unofficial Online Background Checks. Stefan Hintersteininger. University of British Columbia. March 2007.
- EPIC online guide to practical privacy tools. Electronic Privacy Information Center.
- EFF's top 12 ways to protect your online privacy. Stanton McCandlish, Electronic Frontier Foundation. Apr 10, 2002.
Social Search Services
- Spock People Search. Spock.com.
- MyBackGroundCheck.com.
- Spokeo.com/hr. "Want to see your candidates' profiles on MySpace and LinkedIn?"