Home topics technology technology-social-media Social Media Social Media Getting smart about social media security in 2019 Phil Kernick April 8, 2019 Following the privacy breach revelations which occurred in 2018, this year brings a new impetus for improving our social media security. Before we batten down the hatches, let’s go over some of the benefits of social networks. They have helped us get in touch with old friends and distant relations and are now more business services which can help us collaborate better. The “social contract” of social networks is sound enough. We agree to share our information with understanding doing so will benefit us, and we trust any private information won’t be shared without consent. But the “corporate contract” of social media companies is very different. We mustn’t forget they are commercial businesses and a forced to live up to growth and shareholder expectations. And that’s where the privacy and security problems lie. The (social) surveillance state To start with a simple example of why we should care about social media security, let’s look at the snooping potential. With so much sensitive information poured into social networks each day, they are impossible for anyone with an interest in watching people to ignore. New “snooping technology” laws which allow federal and state government agencies to gain access to social media data (with or without a warrant) are now in place and staff are being trained on how to use it. The surveillance power of social media can’t be understated. Every