Personal Injury Law

Facebook: All It's Glory and Shame

By Megan Roth

My last few posts (okay, my last chain of posts) have centered around elementary and high school security and related issues. But what about students past that point in their education? I'm sure you've all heard of it: Facebook. The social utility website has been frequented by college students since 2004 and recently made the switch to allowing anyone with an email address to create a profile.

Facebook is one of the fastest growing sites on the Internet and claims over 100 million people around the world are now using face book (as of December 2007, over two million new users were signing up each week). So it doesn't seem hard to believe 85% of college students use Facebook, Mark Zuckerburg's social networking website, and 60% log-in to the site daily.

I, along with the other 99,999,999 users keep touch with friends and even family members through the site. Facebook contributes these high usage rates to the fact that "Facebook is a good, trusted place for users to share their lives with family and friends." But what risks do I, along with the millions upon millions of other users, run not only by putting my information in the public domain, but also by simply using the website?

Facebook is considered one of the safest social networking sites on the web. Why? Because it recognizes the need for privacy and has created various levels of settings which enable the user to control who sees what of their information. Unfortunately, however, knowing who's viewing your profile does not ensure safety. Just recently, the Washington Post published an article about a "worm" on Facebook. Users have been receiving online messages from friends claiming they've been caught on tape. Users become curious and open the message, only to realize later that they've actually opened a virus that puts their computer into a zombie-like state and enables it to be used in various online attacks.

I have not yet been attacked by the virus, but my roommate has. In fact, I remember very clearly the night we were sitting there and she was trying to check the message (which she received from a long-lost sorority sister) on her BlackBerry. Fortunately, her cell wasn't able to open the message, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. She, like most others, thought the message was legit and the video was real because it came from someone she knew.

Aah, the curse of the internet. Though Facebook allows users to set their own privacy settings, the fact remains that it's very easy for hackers to gain access to any and all information on the site, a task that involves very little skill.

Often times, the hackers then use the profile and information obtained from it to hack into other profiles and sites, thus creating a virus. Sometimes, however, hackers use the obtained information for other purposes. Like to gain a complete strangers trust, which they can then use for both personal and professional gain.

Though the risks of Facebook are not as well publicized as they are for MySpace, they are still there. I'm not discouraging anyone from using the site (obviously that would be a little hypocritical, considering I "stalk book" on a regular basis); however, I am encouraging users to be smart about the information they include in their profile or send through messages and wall posts. So many friends I know include they're full contact information in their profiles. But why? I mean, really - who on Facebook needs your full address? And if someone does, shouldn't they either A) already know it or B) be comfortable enough to ask you directly?

Just think about it. I considered Facebook a wonderful tool and I intend to continue using it so long as it's effective, but that doesn't mean I'm going to encourage hackers or other threats by putting my life story in the public domain. I'm just saying.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on September 18, 2008 (boomark / email).