Facebook Privacy
Introduction
Facebook is one of the largest social network sites which provide its users with various options of enjoying the network with their friends. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 which has grown to a point of companies using it as a way of advertising their products. The site have developed at a high speed where for every 10 person, 8 have accounts with Facebook. The biggest worry which users of Facebook have been encountering since the start of the site is the issue of privacy. The company has made efforts of developing the site to a way where users are feeling comfortable. This paper provides some cases of Facebook privacy which are against business ethics practices or law.
Discussion
Since the time when Facebook was developed, numerous cases of privacy have been raised by different parties. According to Wall street Journal most Facebook applications such as Zynga’s Farmville have violated the privacy policy of the social internet users because they are making personal or identifying information to internet which is being accessed by other users. Such applications not only affect those who use them, they move to a point of violating other users whose intentions is to social network. Looking at the Facebook privacy policy and privacy controls, such apps are going beyond that which forces the users to do away with such activities. Thanks Facebook because it have provided some measures on which the user is able to determine or monitor which apps are good and thus decide which you are going to use. With the help of such features which Facebook have introduced, they provide users with knowledge of when becoming a victim and thus giving measures on what should be done, (Atallah, 2010).
Facebook provides users with services of protecting their information from other users. There is an option where the user can be able to determine the number of applications he or she wants to use and remove those which he or she does not want. On the same note, one is able to see which apps currently used his or her information and what the intention was. With that in mind the user will be able to determine which applications suit him and remove the unwanted apps. Most of companies and other cyber crime professionals are taking advantage of using funny applications so as to violate or use other people’s information without their knowledge. Facebook is trying as much to see that such apps do not get users information without their request and also even if the users accept because they are able to determine which apps are not good, (Veer, 2010).
Apart from providing a user identifying information, some of Facebook apps are going to a point of releasing friends’ information to companies which do track internet and those companies which use Facebook as place where they can advertise their produces and services. Even if you are a strictest Facebook privacy setter, those apps have the ability of getting your information which they transmit on the internet. Thousands of users have been affected directly or indirectly. According to Facebook rules of users information privacy, those apps are going against them and thus giving Facebook management to take a step of developing some privacy policies and controls, (Solove, 2007).
According to the Facebook management, these issues of privacy problem solely depend on numerous developing companies which construct complicated database which they use in tracking users information on network. No clear information is given as how long has the activity taken place but one of the Facebook spokesman there are some measures which are being put in place to prevent those apps in viewing or using users’ private information. To emphasize on his speech, Facebook spokesman said that it is common that a Facebook user may use his or her Facebook ID on other internet browser or may be shared by another user but that does not give the ability of accessing someone’s personal information. There are measures which are underway so that to address the issue of personal information privacy so that to ensure users are free and secure, (Atallah, 2010).
According to the spokesman of the Facebook, the company has strong policy enforcement which helps them in controlling their users ID and on that they will still use that system. Although the work of apps is to enable the users to share common interest and play games, in one way or another, the journal provides information on how the apps do violate the Facebook privacy policy and controls by transmitting users’ personal information to other companies, (Editors of Bottletree Books LLC., 2007). Although Facebook have tried not to provide users’ personal information to users, it has become hard because those apps have the ability of transmitting that information to third party or users who are not required. The most top apps which are going against Facebook privacy policy include Farm Ville, Texas HoldEm Poker and Zynga Game Network Inc.’s. Those apps participate in transmitting information of more than 59 million Facebook users to companies which use their information in a way which is not appropriate. Facebook management has tried enough to ensure that those companies and apps are not able to access user’s information without their knowledge, (Veer, 2010).
Facebook claims that the information which is being transmitted to other companies is one of the basic information which creates Facebook personal information of the users. Since Facebook ID is a standard personal information element, anyone who wants to violate someone’s information can use it to search them and see whether their information is set to a point where they can be accessed. Facebook provides that service of which the user can manage his or her information and set who can access their information. With the information which Facebook got from the journal, those apps do transmit Facebook ID numbers to a minimum of 25 online companies which use Facebook site to advertise their products. Those apps have become a threat to users’ personal information because they do enable online companies to track their information which they record and can use them in violating ones’ operational services in the online activities, (Solove, 2007).
In a business perspective or in a business setting there are rules and regulations which are set in order to protect their way of operation. It is not ethical for a company to track ones information and use it for personal benefit whatsoever. According to this case, the common apps do violate or go against business ethics because the make users of Facebook to feel unsecured because they are able to access their information. Most may say that provided you are not connected to the site directly, you can not find someone’s information. This is not true because with just single personal information which is standard, companies do form database which they use in tracking other information. It is with no doubt that apps does not act according to business because they get your information without your knowledge where they transmit to other companies and the chain continues, (Miller, 2010).
Online tracking do argue that this kind of accusation does not apply because the transition of personal information from one company to another is done in a way which can not be explained. Apps transmitting information from one point to another is a process which can not be defined accordingly. Information from the journal shows that a certain company by the name Rap Leaf Inc., had recorded some Facebook ID information which were used by one of the apps which is related to their work. These shows that the company did not acted in respect to Facebook privacy policy or in ethics regarding to business. The company went further a transmitted those personals information to other companies. The process continued until the information was all over. This act is not in regard to business environment setting. The company had no authority to pass or share someone personal information with other companies without the owners’ knowledge or permission, (Veer, 2010).
Noticing that the action of transmitting personal information was know, the company defended themselves by saying that the action was not intentional. The way information passed to all those companies is not well defined and that the company had no purpose of transmitting that information to other companies. Although the company tries to be somehow guilty, it is against business ethics to transmit someone’s ideas or information may it personal or not without their knowledge. The Facebook management is working day and night to ensure that users of Facebook are able to determine what information they share with their friends. This is a great work because not all people use Facebook for business activities and thus most of those who are there for social networking will feel violated if their information is left to be accessed by third party. Information from Facebook management says that they are sorry for what have been happening and that they are on the ground to enquire that such kind of behavior do not repeat again. Facebook said that they have prevented or gave our limits at to what point Rap Leaf company can access the Facebook related information, (Atallah, 2010).
In order to protect its customers or users, Facebook have taken a point of preventing app developers from violating user’s personal information by giving out details to companies with or without the consent of the user. This is one of the best privacy control measure which the management is using in order to ensure that users information is kept safe and secure. Facebook have provided rules and regulations which apps which want to work with Facebook should comply with in order to ensure that user’s personal information is kept secure. Information from journal shows that Facebook have developed well from the critics which have been all over regarding information of their users. Facebook is setting ways on how personal information of their users can be prevented so that to ensure security. It is with no doubt that for a given period of time Facebook users information have always been exposed which the management is trying hard to look and give guidelines of what should be done before transmitting someone’s information, (Editors of Bottletree Books LLC., 2007).
In order to enhance privacy policy or privacy controls, Facebook have enabled its users to have control on the apps which are their sites. With the help of this the users are able to control the information which will be accessed by similar people using those applications and thus ensuring personal information is not transmitted without their consent. Facebook have played a major role in ensuring privacy is enhanced because they have redeveloped control panel which helps the user to see what level of information those appropriate apps are accessing. When the app accesses certain information which seems to be more private, control panels which the Facebook have developed will inform the user and thus making them aware of dangers associated with them. One of the limits about those controls is that they do not provide clear information as to which level has the friends’ application have gone deep in ones personal information. Although they have tried in a way that users can prevent those applications, on the other hand they are supposed to know that the other end has done, (Miller, 2010).
It is with no doubt that with the help of apps, Facebook have become social network. This is because many have shared common interest but the only part which they fail is transmitting information of the users without their knowledge. Apps and Facebook do work together in order to ensure that users have good time in the network. Information shows that apps are sources of income and also they help in advertising the site at large. Facebook have limited the extent at which apps should access someone’s information. This has helped in maintain privacy of users’ information. Information shows that there is no clear evidence whether the owners of apps knew whether they were transmitting users’ information, (Veer, 2010).
In order to ensure that privacy policy is being met, Facebook have taken a point of disabling some of apps which are thought to be transmitting personal information. Apart from disabling the apps, the company has taken a point of shutting down most of apps which are believed to be the most transmitting private information to third parties. Both companies the apps and the Facebook has mandates of ensuring that private information is not transmitted and with that they are working together to ensure that they have come to a conclusion of what should be done in order to ensure that does not happen again, (Atallah, 2010).
Conclusion
Facebook have gone some development to ensure that their users’ information is not transmitted to other sites. Apps are one of the most ways where private information of a user is passed to other sites. In order to enhance privacy policy and controls, Facebook have decided to shut and disable some of applications which are believed to be transmitting information. Knowing that Facebook and apps are one and the same and contributes to a good environment of the users, they are working together to come with a common goals as to what should be done.
Reference:
Atallah., M. (2010). Privacy Enhancing Technologies: 10th International Symposium, PETS 2010, July 21-23, 2010, Berlin, Germany, And Proceedings: Springer
Editors of Bottletree Books LLC., (2007). Facebook Fanatic: Explode Your Popularity, Secure Your Privacy and Buzz Your Band on Facebook: Bottletree Books LLC,
Miller, M. (2010). Facebook for Grown-Ups: Que Publishing, 2010
Solove, D. J. (2007). The future of reputation: gossip, rumor, and privacy on the Internet: Yale University Press
Veer, E. A. V. (2010). Facebook: The Missing Manual: O’Reilly Media, Inc
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