SOCIAL NETWORK

SOCIAL NETWORK:

WATCH OUT FOR SIDE EFFECTS

FACEBOOK & CO SURFER BEWARE HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? TIPS

SOCIAL NETWORK:

WATCH OUT FOR SIDE EFFECTS

Facebook, MySpace & Co. A lively debate is in progress between those who extol the unique communication chances provided by social networks and those who only see the risks to surfers' private life and rights.

The Italian DPA decided to draft this short guidance to help those planning to sign up to a social network and those who have already joined a social network to use this new tool knowledgeably. It is not meant to cover all issues; it is more a quick guide that can be used both by newbies and by experts.

We wish to provide food for thought, but mostly a few pieces of advice to ensure that one of the most valuable goods we have ? our identity and our personal data ? can be protected also in the "virtual world".

FACEBOOK & CO

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Social networks (such as Facebook, MySpace, etc.) are "virtual marketplaces", that is places where you can meet people via the Internet and share pictures, videos, thoughts, pals' addresses, and much more. Social networks are "the" forum for sharing materials; they provide a unique means for communicating, however they entail risks to the private sphere of the individuals concerned.

Social networks were set up initially in the academic world by colleagues who wanted to "keep in touch" and "team up" after starting their job careers. Facebook, one of the best-known among these networks, was initially nothing else but the virtual translation of the college "photo book" ? a sort of electronic billboard where you could look up your old pals and exchange information with them. One of the most recent developments is pushing for the increased integration between social networks and mobile phones, so that any message posted online is turned into a sort of multiple SMSmessage that can immediately reach all our friends.

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download