Social dossiers

Study Guide

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
Facebook Myspace LinkedIn Friendster YouTube Digg Flickr	Photobucket Picasa Twitter Xanga Livejournal Blogger Deviant Art		Demographics Photographs Videos User Comments Cultural Interests Religion/Creed Political Views	Sexual Orientiation Forum Discussions Work History Education History Favorite Videos Friends' Identities Offline Media Tastes

Aggregation motives

Potential Interested Parties:

• Human Resources:
• Criminal Prosecution:
• Civil Litigation:
• Business Contacts:
• Stalkers:
• Friends/Relatives:
• Neighbors:
• Dating:

Interesting scenarios

1. Availability of Data. (Secure? Private? Is it accessible to anyone? How do you limit information exclusively to its intended audience.)
2. Accuracy. (Is there inaccurate data attached to your online identity? Libel/Slander. What if the facts are just wrong?)
3. Anonymity.
4. "They should have known better than to..."
5. Search. Find. Link. -> Repeat. -> Compile: Summary judgment.
6. Purpose. Why do people investigate other people? (Ex: Human Resources; Customer/Client/Vendor Relations; Obsession/Stalking; Criminal Prosecution; Civil Litigation;

Links & Resources

Articles of Interest

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

Other Links

• Spock People Search. Spock.com.
• MyBackGroundCheck.com.
• Spokeo.com/hr. "Want to see your candidates' profiles on MySpace and LinkedIn?"