Introduction
Breach of online privacy by Social networks is on the rise in most, if not all, social media organizations. It is entirely unethical for social media networks yo disclose information about their users both intentionally and unintentionally. Ethical issues arise when the information is disclosed without the consent of the user and given out for purposes that are not included in the policy agreement ( Garcia et al 107). Secondly, the purpose of the information given by a user on any social media platform is stipulated in the agreement, and if Social network companies use the data of a user for any purpose other than the specified purpose, it amounts to a breach of an individual’s privacy. The smell test is one of the tests that is implored to determine what is ethical and authentic to any individual by use of their common sense.
Various people are affected by the breach of privacy by Social networks. The stakeholders include; The victim whose information has been leaked, other users of the social media platforms, the Social network, and other social media network institutions. Both legal and natural persons are affected by such unethical issues. It is prudent to note that some breaches have given rise to civil proceedings and payment of damages to the victim ( Yu et al 54). A recent case is when Facebook was facing charges for tracking their users’ activities and giving information to online marketers and advertisers without seeking permission from the individuals.
The first stakeholder who is affected by the unethical issue of Social networks is the victim. When social network companies give information to third parties or disclose sensitive information puts the user at risk of cyber hacking and Psychological torture. The victim is also at risk of identity theft, which is one of the leading crimes in the United States once an individual can access personal data. The issuance of information is an infringement of a person’s right to privacy when their permission is not sought and granted. Privacy is a fundamental right of every citizen to the extent of the provision of the law on the right to privacy ( McNeil et al 133). Sensitive information is provided when persons are signing up on social media, and the individual joins the platform on the basis that the data collected is secure and not subject to any disclosure.
Secondly, other users on social media are also affected when Social media companies do not respect the right to privacy. Trust is broken between the users and the company on their ability to protect their information as well; there is a breach of policy and agreements that the company provided ( Garcia 33). One of the ethical approaches that users ate guided by is that the Social network companies must protect users from unauthorized access at all times and inappropriate use of the data. When social media companies intentionally leak information, other users tend to delete their information and delete their accounts to protect themselves from being victims of invasion was of privacy.
Social media companies are also affected when information is leaked with or without their knowledge. Firstly, the companies can face legal actions for breaking the law, which can amount to payment of a lot of money for damages. Secondly, they are also at risk of cyber hacking, which is one of the threats and disadvantages of storing data on online platforms. Thirdly, they incur significant losses when there is a reduction of users who are the consumers of their products ( Garcia et al 114). Every individual is cautious of what information the public domain has about them, and when disclosures happen, they prevent leakage of information by reducing the consumption of the services provided by the social network. When one social network is affected, a ripple effect is experienced on all the other social network are affected needing them to evaluate their organizational and operational strategies so as not to risk leakage of personal data of their clients.
Various ways can be inculcated in an organization’s operation in order to uphold the ethical issues in a social network company ( Yu et al 94). These ways help in protecting users on social media and social networks as it creates s balance between the needs of the company and that of the consumers of the services. These ways include regulation of advertisers enactment of laws on the right to privacy with regards to social networks, consent agreement between the users of social media, and the Social network entities.
One of the resolutions is the regulation of advertisers by the government on their access to personal information of the citizens. Most advertisers have gained immense access to getting information, which is an extreme risk to an individual’s private information getting to the public domain ( McNeil et al 145). One of the ethical issues is that the personal data provided by the individual is free from unauthorized people, which comprises of advertisers, cyber hackers, and non-governmental entities with no permission. Regulation of advertisements reduces the risk of software malware that might corrupt the system leading to unintentional leakage of data or worse distortion of information.
Secondly, the federal government enacting laws on the right to privacy and the extent of the right between social media users and the network. The state must ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens are adhered to at all times. The right is question is the right to privacy. Social networks have been reported in several cases for knowingly infringing the rights of their users through access and distribution of sensitive data ( Garcia 63). The state can enact laws to limit the actions of social networks in regards to access and distribution of data. This solution has been premised on the ethical approach that the needs of the users are a priority; therefore, there must be limitations on social networks in the usage and accessibility of personal information of users.
Thirdly, a consent agreement should be made between individuals and social networks in order to restrict how social networks can handle one’s information. The ethical theory that ensures that there are restrictions is, the user has certain legal rights that supersede the needs of the company ( Yu et al 183). One of the rights is the right of ownership; he or she owns the account; therefore, any activity that takes place should be aware of them. In light of this, there should be a consent agreement that allows the user to have control of the information he or she has disclosed, and when the social networks need to access the information, permission is sought from the individual.
The best way to ensure that Social network Companies adhere to respecting and protecting the personal and sensitive data of their users is by the creation of a consent agreement that requires any person to access the consumers’ information to be granted access by them. This ensures that Social networks are accountable and transparent, and the right of privacy is complied with in its entirety. The reason why this method will help in solving the various ethical issues addressed in the paper is that the user has total control over their social media accounts and any breach they are notified, thus reducing the risk of both intentional and unintentional disclosure of personal data to third parties.
Works cited
Garcia, David, et al. “Collective aspects of privacy in the twitter social network.” EPJ Data Science 7.1 (2018)
Garcia, David. “Leaking privacy and shadow profiles in online social networks.” Science advances 3.8 (2017)
He, Zaobo, Zhipeng Cai, and Jiguo Yu. “Latent-data privacy preserving with customized data utility for social network data.” IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology 67.1 (2017): 665-673.
McNeill, Andrew R., et al. “Privacy considerations when designing social network systems to support successful ageing.” Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. 2017.