"The perils
of over-sharing
in social networks" by Emm (2014) seems to be rather against the increasing dependency that society has on the internet. In the
article, Emm shares about his concerns over "government
snooping" which allows for institutions and authorities to spy on our
personal e-mails, text messages etc. Emm also goes on to talk about the
impending dangers that an over reliance on social media platforms poses to
people. For example, the jeopardization of our personal lives when confidential
details land in the wrong hands. In addition to that, the author also believes
that the over-sharing of private informations online can have adverse effects
on the companies we work for. The author's opinions resonates with my own to a
certain extent. I have personally witness friends getting cyber-bullied or
falling victims to cyber-crimes. And as such i strongly believe that the
internet is not an entirely safe place for sharing personal details.
in social networks" by Emm (2014) seems to be rather against the increasing dependency that society has on the internet. In the
article, Emm shares about his concerns over "government
snooping" which allows for institutions and authorities to spy on our
personal e-mails, text messages etc. Emm also goes on to talk about the
impending dangers that an over reliance on social media platforms poses to
people. For example, the jeopardization of our personal lives when confidential
details land in the wrong hands. In addition to that, the author also believes
that the over-sharing of private informations online can have adverse effects
on the companies we work for. The author's opinions resonates with my own to a
certain extent. I have personally witness friends getting cyber-bullied or
falling victims to cyber-crimes. And as such i strongly believe that the
internet is not an entirely safe place for sharing personal details.
The author states that the Internet “exposes the
minutiae of our daily lives”. Putting personal information online such as the
posting of pictures, sharing of details about our daily routine or tweeting
about our current location makes us vulnerable and easy targets to
cyber-criminals. While reading the article, I was reminded of an incident that
rendered a close friend of mine a “cyber-crime victim”. This particular friend
was attacked on a popular social media platform known as “AskFm” where
strangers are allowed to comment or ask you questions. She started receiving
provocative and rude comments from anonymous characters, some even claiming
that they know private details of her life such as her home address. It was
both a shocking and frightening experience for her and she eventually shut
the account down. Just as Emm puts it, what is seemingly harmless can
quickly turned into an avenue for crimes to take place
down. Just as Emm puts it, what is seemingly harmless can
quickly turned into an avenue for crimes to take place
While the author believes over-sharing on the Internet
can threaten the personal lives of users, it can also “jeopardize the security of the
organization we work for”. Sharing of confidential details online can result in
rival companies attaining vital information required to sabotage or attack the
organization. In addition to Emms point, the over-sharing of information on the
Internet not only compromises the security of a company but also it’s
reputation. In 2012, director Amy Cheong of the National Trade union
congress (NTUC) was fired after posting racist comments about the traditional
Malay wedding on her personal Facebook account. (Durai, 2012)The incident
caused an outrage amongst the online community as people were upset and
disappointed that NTUC would give such authority and responsibility to someone
who publicly displays ignorance and racism. NTUC’s Facebook page was bombarded
with angry comments demanding for explanations. Needless to say, the incident
tarnished NTUC’s reputation as being a wholesome organization. As such it is
clear to say that over-sharing on the Internet can affect both the security and
reputation of the companies we work for.
union
congress (NTUC) was fired after posting racist comments about the traditional
Malay wedding on her personal Facebook account. (Durai, 2012)The incident
caused an outrage amongst the online community as people were upset and
disappointed that NTUC would give such authority and responsibility to someone
who publicly displays ignorance and racism. NTUC’s Facebook page was bombarded
with angry comments demanding for explanations. Needless to say, the incident
tarnished NTUC’s reputation as being a wholesome organization. As such it is
clear to say that over-sharing on the Internet can affect both the security and
reputation of the companies we work for.
In the article, Emm also voices his worries over
“government snooping” on the Internet. The ability of institutions and the
government to “intercept emails, text messages etc.” leaves users with barely any
privacy to call their own. However "government snooping" does have some positive impact on society in that it combats terrorism to a certain extent. The National Security Agency (NSA) gathers
phone data and online communications in order to sieve out potential threats. In
the US alone, The
National Security Agency's "controversial intelligence-gathering
programs" have helped to prevent 13 terrorist attacks from taking place. (Kelly,
2013). I personally believe that the government need not resort to
"snooping" to retrieve private details of our lives such as our home
addresses or even our bank account. And even if they do not, they have
other means of retrieving them. The only reason why anyone should be afraid of
"government snooping" would be their fear of getting exposed for
crimes such as company embezzlement etc. in which case they should in fact be
exposed. As such government snooping does have its upside as well
, text messages etc.” leaves users with barely any
privacy to call their own. However "government snooping" does have some positive impact on society in that it combats terrorism to a certain extent. The National Security Agency (NSA) gathers
phone data and online communications in order to sieve out potential threats. In
the US alone, The
National Security Agency's "controversial intelligence-gathering
programs" have helped to prevent 13 terrorist attacks from taking place. (Kelly,
2013). I personally believe that the government need not resort to
"snooping" to retrieve private details of our lives such as our home
addresses or even our bank account. And even if they do not, they have
other means of retrieving them. The only reason why anyone should be afraid of
"government snooping" would be their fear of getting exposed for
crimes such as company embezzlement etc. in which case they should in fact be
exposed. As such government snooping does have its upside as well
Bibliography
Durai,
J. (2012, Octrober 8). The Straits Times. Retrieved 2014, from
www.straitstimes.com:
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/ntuc-assistant-director-sacked-racist-remarks-20121008
Kelly,
H. (2013, August). CNN. Retrieved from www.edition.nn.com:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/31/tech/web/nsa-alexander-black-hat/
