Digital and Data Privacy in Social Media

BADM 395

Sophia Zamberletti

Introduction

I cannot imagine my life without social media. I have three Instagram accounts, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.... So, it is fair to say my digital footprint must be pretty extensive. However, I know it is not just me - social media has become a part of every single person’s day-to-day life. When we communicate with each other and interact with the world, it is often done digitally, and through the tools created by social media. However, it is naive to think that these interactions are not stored and tracked within the cloud, left to be analyzed and studied for the valuable information they provide. This blog post will discuss three digital and data privacy issues in social media and their implications. Along with these issues and their descriptions, I will also be sharing a couple infographics I have made regarding digital and data privacy within social media, and my personal thoughts and opinions regarding online data privacy.

Issue #1: Data Harvesting

Have you ever searched up a product, closed out of the tab, opened a social media platform, and immediately seen an ad for that same product? It seems creepy, and also strangely satisfying, to realize how customized your algorithm is specifically to you. But how does it happen? Social media uses your account to harvest countless amounts of data. Some of this data includes your name, location, user preferences, and messages to friends. Mainly, this data is used to help advertise more effectively to users, and show more of the content and ads they may be interested in. However, many users fail to understand the extent of this data collection and storage. The case below outlines how so much simple data can become so powerful.

Cambridge Analytica Scandal

In 2018, Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, was accused of harvesting data of about 87 million Facebook users on behalf of their political clients. This data was used to influence the 2016 United States political election as well as the UK Brexit referendum. An article by BBC states “In March, Channel 4 aired undercover footage of Cambridge Analytica's CEO, Alexander Nix, giving examples of how the firm could swing elections around the world with underhand tactics such as smear campaigns and honey traps.”. Even though Cambridge Analytica denies any unlawful or unethical practices, the firm did eventually shut down.

This is concerning because of the many Facebook users that had no idea what exactly their data was being used for, outside of creating an account, or that it could be used for political manipulation. One positive outcome of this scandal was the new data privacy regulations put in place by Facebook after receiving this scrutiny. You can protect yourself from these dangers by thoroughly reviewing privacy settings on social media platforms that you have an active account on. Brower extensions are also available that will block the cookies that track your activity. When reviewing settings, be cautious of third-party app permissions. 

My Thoughts

My data being used to create false personalities and manipulate political opinions is not acceptable at all. I am someone who is very open on social media and very find-able. That’s all fine with me, and I’m pretty okay with sharing my data. However, preying on American ignorance and lack of information is truly upsetting. Politics are meant to be transparent and honest, even though they never are, and not being able to educate yourself as a citizen is really scary. When you can’t trust politicians or media, there are not many other places you can turn to understand the decisions you need to make as a voter. Because of this, I fear that many younger Americans are turned off from politics because they see it as drama and clickbait, rather than influential and important topics to stay updated on.

Issue #1 Article

Issue #2: Deepfakes and Misinformation

Deepfakes can be described as the use of AI, or artificial intelligence, and deep learning algorithms to manipulate videos, images, and even audio recordings to show extremely realistic yet completely false actions. This A.I. generated fake media can make people out to be someone they are not, and is difficult to identify when it is being used due to its insane level of realism. In recent years, they have been used to create false political statements and impersonate celebrities falsely and inappropriately. Victims of deepfake technology could have their reputations or professional careers at risk, and the usually shocking nature of the content makes deepfake media spread like wildfire. The article commentary below describes an instance where a public figure was misrepresented by deepfake technology.

Scarlett Johansson Calls for Deepfake Ban

A video was recently put out on X, formerly Twitter, showing Scarlett Johansson and other Jewish celebrities wearing a t-shirt with a middle finger, Star of David, and "Kanye", who has said many antisemitic comments. While congress has passed laws banning sexually explicit deepfakes, many claim this is not enough action. Current President Trump has reversed some of the regulations that former president Biden had put in place to protect citizens from A.I.. Scarlett Johansson spoke out by saying this: “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind, but I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by A.I. is a far greater threat that any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.” This quote shows how serious this matter can become in very little time.

When consuming media, be extra mindful about what you are viewing. Deepfakes cause confusion and fear within the media and are a threat to everyone who uses these platforms. Many platforms simply do not have the capacity to detect and remove deep-fake imagery before it is seen and shared online, so be aware that images and videos that come across as controversial or shocking are more and more likely to be fake due to recent technology. Using reverse image searching is a good way to identify original sources of media when verifying authenticity and look out for A.I. driven detection services on social media. 

My Thoughts

Deepfakes are terrifying, and its appalling to me that our President would reverse actions that were put in place to protect Americans. It is extremely telling that he is okay with Americans being lied to and manipulated by the media. Anyway, I do think that it is important that celebrities speak out about A.I., especially deepfakes, before things get out of hand. Clearly celebrities are at the most risk of being affected by deepfakes, and I am worried that many of them will wait until it affects them directly to speak out. Technology is scary, and without proper education and awareness the internet is going to become increasingly out of control. Short response – celebrities, use your platforms!

Issue #2 Article

Issue #3: Data Leaks

So much of our personal information is stored within social media, from names and birth dates to location history and browser data. Even though you may accept the terms of those social media accounts, we may not fully understand the extent of how our data will be collected and stored. Even if the platforms we use promise to protect us and our data, we cannot always trust that hackers and data breaches will not take place. Recently, data breaches have become even more common, and just because platforms are well-known and trusted, such as Instagram, Facebook, and X, does not mean they are immune from these breaches. The commentary below describes an example of one of these data leaks.

Facebook Data Breach

In 2019, over 500 million Facebook users' personal data was leaked. The hackers found vulnerability within their security and mined the data by inputting randomly generated phone numbers. The data stolen included much more than just full names and phone numbers. An article by Forbes says “The scope of exposed information was extensive, including full names, phone numbers, locations, birth dates, email addresses and biographical information. While no financial data or passwords were compromised, the exposed information provides cybercriminals with powerful tools for identity theft and social engineering attacks. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has maintained that this wasn’t technically a ‘hack’ but rather a misuse of legitimate system features. The company claims to have patched the vulnerability in August 2019”.  Affected users may be entitled to compensation of around $100. Apparently receiving this compensation is simple, “users need only prove they were victims of the breach to claim compensation. Gone are the days when individuals had to demonstrate concrete harm or financial loss”, said presiding judge Stephan Seiters to Forbes. Many claim that their personal information is worth much more than just $100 in damages.

What you put online is always at risk of being stolen by cybercriminals, so do not put out information you would not want to be out in public. This data can be used for identity theft or financial fraud, and we cannot trust social media companies to warn us of breaches before they get out of hand. Some ways to protect yourself include using extremely strange, unique passwords for every different account you create, and taking advantage of platforms that enable two factor authentication. 

My Thoughts

For some reason, I do not feel particularly bad for those whose data was stolen. Who knows, I could have been part of this breach and have no idea. Maybe it is just me, but I feel like we (generation x) has been told since practically birth that your digital footprint will follow you like the plague until you die. Not only this, but we have seen so many celebrities and influencers fall off of the planet due to old tweets resurfacing or old videos coming to light. Stolen information, especially personal information, is extremely scary and wrong. I am not saying that these cybercriminals are justified in any way, and of course I think they should be punished. I am not blaming the victims here, the internet should be a safe place for all. Unfortunately, it is not, and it never has been. So, be mindful, and always think twice before you hit post or upload any kind of information about yourself online.

Issue #3 Article

Conclusion

The rate that technology is evolving is astounding, but I fear that many lawmakers as well as society are unsure about how exactly to handle the political aspects of these developments. As technology becomes more and more deeply integrated into our lives, the issues discussed in this blog are going to become much more complex than they already are. The collection and usage of user data is a great place to start regulating, and allowing users to review privacy settings and cookies is a simple way that we protect our data every day. Despite this, we are still vulnerable to exploitation. Cybercriminals, hacking, and data breaches are out of our control. This means that even when doing what we can, we must not post things online that we do not want to be public information. There are some things we, as users, can do to protect ourselves. For example, be extremely mindful of the profile information you give to companies, and the media that you post. Make an effort to stay informed regarding the latest security risks and data breaches. If you think you may be affected by a cyber-attack, data breach, or scam, change your passwords and take next steps as necessary. Of course, social media platforms and technology companies have a responsibility to protect users from these dangers and make strong efforts to uphold the privacy standards that users agree to. Platforms, in my opinion, should include extremely transparent, simple, and short versions of their privacy policies to display to users. Many users do not have the time or understand the importance of fully reading or comprehending the extensive policies they are agreeing to. Accessible, user-friendly summaries would be a great way to start educating social media users of the dangers they are putting themselves in. Awareness and transparency are the two ingredients we need for a safe digital environment. When we, as individuals, take an active role in our digital privacy and platforms take the responsibility of protecting us, we can navigate this constantly evolving technology in a way that lets all users connect and empower without fear.