Privacy and Confidentiality in Social Applications - Research Proposal Example

Privacy and Confidentiality in Social Application The world has witnessed rapid technological advancements that have significantly changed the way people live and conduct business. One of the most notable technological developments is the advent of social applications. While social applications have totally revolutionized communication and ways of conducting business, it has brought with them serious concerns on privacy and confidentiality as well as others concerns such as cyber-bullying, diminished social skills, and compromised privacy and confidentiality among the users (O Bien and Torres, 2012). There is consensus among the majority of social applications’ users that their privacy and confidentiality is at stake and that there is need to address this critical concern. Their concerns are genuine as there are increasing instances around the world where privacy and confidentiality of social applications users have been breached, and in some instances the affected users have been harmed or injured (Demshar, 2011). The previous solutions on this problem have not yielded expected results and more and more users of social applications are more afraid of their privacy and confidentiality while using social applications. Therefore, it is critical to create a better understanding of issues relating to privacy and confidentiality in social applications and help develop a more comprehensive approach of addressing these issues. Privacy and Confidentiality in Social Application 1. Introduction The world has witnessed rapid technological advancements that have significantly changed the way people live and conduct business. One of the most notable technological developments is the advent of social applications. According to (Trepte, 2011), social applications include interactive tools and communication tools that are often internet-based. These tools typically hold or handle the capturing, storing, as well as presentation of various aspects of communication, written, audio, or video. In addition, these tools handle mediated interaction between users with the focus to establish and maintain connections between or among users and facilitating talk and conversation mechanics. Papacharissi (2011) explains that social applications take various forms including text chat, blogs, social networking services, instant messaging, collaborative software, social bookmarking, wikis, and commercial social networks among others. Social applications have been of significant importance to people and businesses (Klosek, 2007). It has enhanced effective communication among people and business, as well as interaction among users and in the process facilitating business and social activities to take place with much ease. It has enhanced the speed and efficiency with which information is developed, distributed and stored. It has totally revolutionized communication and ways of conducting business and this has translated to numerous benefits to users of social applications and information communication technology in general. However, social applications have their downsides which include cyber-bullying, diminished social skills, and compromised privacy and confidentiality among the users (O Bien and Torres, 2012). Compromised privacy and confidentiality brought about by social applications has been one of the greatest concerns amongst users and developers of these applications. The smart phones, computers and other gadgets using social applications send out private and confidential information of the users to often entrusted third-party servers (Demshar, 2011). What is more worrying though is the fact that the servers in the process of providing services to the social applications users collect large quantity of user’s information over time including his location, and personal information such as age. As a result, the users of these applications are to a large- scale susceptible to privacy and confidentiality compromises even if several techniques are employed to guarantee their privacy and confidentiality (Ray, 2004). While disclosure of some private and confidential information about the users of social applications is beneficial in some contexts such as health, travel, and personal life, it tends to greatly compromise the user and expose him or her to security and privacy threats that in turn may significantly put their lives in danger. The quantity of data that users are putting on the internet through social applications is growing exponentially and enormously. Also, the type of data place on the internet is becoming more increasingly more private. All these factors contribute considerably towards compromising privacy and confidentiality of the social applications users (Bélanger and Crossler, 2011). Users of social applications have raised serious concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality. More often than not, users have lacked the ability to choose what is disclosed from their social applications to third parties (Camenisch, et al., 2011). Besides, they are unable to trust others to refrain from disclosing individual information to individuals who are not authorized to access them. The concerns of the users have been further been compounded by the fact that they are becoming more and more targeted by advertisers and other users as well through acts such as cyber-bullying. It is therefore important to address this problem of privacy and confidentiality in social applications. There are potential of applications for a solution regarding the problem particularly from the providers of the social applications and administrators of the social applications’ servers (Kachhi and Link, 2009). However, various attempts to address this problem have not been fairly successful. Previous solutions have proved inadequate as they have not prevented collection of personal information and mapping of the personal data that is aimed at detailing consumer profiles and this is increasingly becoming a major issue for world wide social applications’ users. This problem is relevant as it transcends personal boundaries and threatens security, privacy, and confidentiality of the social applications’ users (Cropf and Krummenacher, 2011). Therefore, this research seeks to fill the gap by previous solutions and address the problem more comprehensively and effectively. 2. Literature Review The term privacy in the online context is generally defined to include the right of users to determine the kind of information to be collected concerning them and how such information is used. In some cases users are not aware of the kind of data that are being collected regarding them via social applications such as social networking services and how it may be used (Gellman and Dixon, 2011). Privacy also includes the right of users to access information that is held about them and knows it is safe and accurate. Privacy also includes anonymity and not having their online habits tracked. It also includes sending and receiving data though social applications that will not be read or intercepted by persons not intended (Ray, 2004). Privacy is related to confidentiality in the internet context; confidentiality refers to the principle of keeping secret and secure from others information give about an individual in various contexts, especially in professional relationship (Trepte, 2011). Confidentiality includes making necessary security arrangements for transmission as well as storage of individual information; ensuring that online data are secure and is not intercepted. Social applications provide little privacy and confidentiality assurance to users. According to Zheleva, Terzi and Getoor (2012), there is little privacy and confidentiality on social applications. Websites are able to track users’ usage of social applications. Search engines are the most notorious in recording users’ information on social applications and build up profile of individuals’ information over time. Since posting in social applications are often public, individuals generally give up their content rights, as well as any privacy and confidentiality expectations. Camenisch et al (2011) observes that the challenge of privacy and confidentiality has been compounded by the fact that virtually anything that one posts via social application can be duplicated, published, archived, saved, and distributed even yeas later by any other user (Jeffrey, 2012). In addition, the issue of privacy and confidentiality has become a thorny one in respect to social applications because of the aspect of cross-referencing of personal data such as home address, birth date, credit card number, email address and phone number. If the user gives this data via social applications, it is possible that they may be cross referenced by service companies in order to assemble detailed database of various interests and patterns of the user. Many social applications users fail to first read the internet privacy of various social applications before they give their information (Solove et al, 2006). According to Kachhi and Link (2009) privacy and confidentiality in social applications is highly compromised as interception of internet communications and particularly via social applications is relatively easy. This is often done through routers via which users packets are switched while on their way to their designated recipients or destination (Cropf and Krummenacher, 2011). Many national governments and large business entities have enough resources to intercept internet communications when they want to. This greatly affects the privacy and confidentiality of the users as they are unable to determine the kind of information collected regarding them and how such information is used. In addition, they are unable to keep their information secret and secure from others (Klosek, 2007). Since social applications raise serious concerns on confidentiality and privacy, there are numerous case studies that have been conducted to evaluate its implications on this problems and possible solutions. Many case studies relate to the two most used social applications and which have the most users compared to other social applications tools (Camenisch et al, 2011). Facebook and Twitter are the most used social applications and have the most users. In particular, Facebook has been criticized many times because of its faulty confidentiality and privacy policy. It has been accused of selling the data and personal information of users to private companies, as well as being unable to delete personal information from their website (Grubbs, 2011). Its main feature, Timeline, makes its users’ data public and keeps users’ records of videos, photos, and status updates over a long period of time. As a result of faulty confidentiality and privacy of Facebook, there has been increasing number of complaints from users. On top of the complaints include pedophilia, stalking, and identity theft. To a significant extent, Facebook breaches confidentiality and privacy of users due to its inability to prevent an ever-increasing hacker attacks on its websites (O Bien and Torres, 2012). Most Facebook users register using their real names and other personal information such as date of birth, location, and address and this implies that it has more identifying information than most of other social applications. It has been accused of collecting and profiling users’ content without their knowledge or consent. Facebook is letting third parties to collect information from users and run advertisements, in addition to sharing users’ information with third parties for revenue (O Bien and Torres, 2012). It rarely discloses in a privacy policy that it is disclosing or revealing personal information of users to third parties and this leads to a wide-scale breach of confidentiality and privacy. Grubbs (2011) notes that Facebook has failed to enhance protection of its users from identity theft, trolling, and cyber bullying. The “advanced search” in Facebook allows anyone to search users’ database using any fields in the user’s profile. This feature reduces users’ confidentiality and privacy because even when they are expecting to hide their information and make them private, their personal information is not secure since they are not excluded from advanced searches (O Bien and Torres, 2012). Apart from the general confidentiality and privacy threats posed by Facebook as a social application to its users, it also poses threat to a particular section of the society: minors. The site has proved to be unsafe for minors, as more and more minors are harassed and their privacy compromised as users of Facebook (Grubbs, 2011). In the light of the potential confidentiality and privacy breaches posed by Facebook to its users and the complaints that consequently arise, it has attempted to take various measures aimed at enhancing users’ confidentiality and privacy. This move has been prompted by not only the complaints, but also court rulings (O Bien and Torres, 2012). For example, in 2010, the court ruled that Facebook must be careful in the future while installing features into its systems such as advanced search feature that have the potential of breaching users’ confidentiality and privacy (Grubbs, 2011). 3. Methodology Privacy and confidentiality in social applications is a critical issue that needs to be addressed particularly because increasing number of people is using social applications in their day-to-day activities. 3.1 Research Questions In order to better understand this subject under study and address key concerns, the research will seek to find answers to the following questions: i) What are the key privacy and confidentiality issues relating to social applications? ii) What types of users and interested parties threaten privacy and confidentiality in social applications (government, service providers, hackers, online fraudsters……)? iii) What are the motivations of privacy and confidentiality breaches in social applications? iv) How are privacy and confidentiality breaches committed in social applications? v) How can privacy and confidentiality in social applications guaranteed? 3.2 Research Methods The purpose of this research is to understand privacy and confidentiality issues in social applications and how to address this problem. A qualitative method will be used to show the common motives, characteristics, and behaviors relating to confidentiality and privacy in social applications (Kothari, 2005). In this case, interviews, content analysis, as well as focused group will be used to develop and support theoretical framework. Content analysis will be used to obtain data on privacy and confidentiality in social applications from published articles, journals, and books on the subject under study. Historical data will be investigated and cases of privacy and confidentiality analyzed. 3.3 Data Collection Participants for interviews and focus groups discussion will be selected from the university; this is because majority of students use various social applications in their day-to-day lives. Five (5) participants will be selected for interviews and 15 participants selected for the focus group discussions. Prior to conducting interviews, interview questions will be distributed to the interviewees so that they will have time to look at the questions and think through them. 4. Expected Results i) Better understanding of privacy and confidentiality issues in social applications gained ii) Motivations and parties threatening privacy and confidentiality in social applications known iii) Ways of guaranteeing privacy and confidentiality in social applications explored and suggested 5. WORK PLAN AND SCHEDULE Activity Duration Complete Proposal 7 days Complete research 15 days Complete Analysis 5 days 6. Summary of Contributions This research is important as a tool of developing a better understanding of the privacy and confidentiality issues in social applications. There is consensus among the majority of social applications’ users that their privacy and confidentiality is at stake and that there is need to address this critical concern. Their concerns are genuine as there are increasing instances around the world where privacy and confidentiality of social applications users have been breached, and in some instances the affected users have been harmed or injured. The previous solutions on this problem have not yielded expected results and more and more users of social applications are more afraid of their privacy and confidentiality while using social applications. Therefore, this research will help create a better understanding of issues relating to privacy and confidentiality in social applications and help develop a more comprehensive approach of addressing these issues. Ultimately, it will assist in enhancing privacy and confidentiality in social applications as it will address pertinent aspects of privacy and confidentiality in social applications and their threats. References Bélanger, F., & Crossler, R. E. (2011). Privacy in the Digital Age: A Review of Information Privacy Research in Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 35(4), 1017-A36. Camenisch, J et al. (2011). Digital privacy: PRIME - privacy and identity management for Europe. (2011). Berlin: Springer. Cropf, R. A., & Krummenacher, W. S. (2011). Information communication technologies and the virtual public sphere: Impact of network structures on civil society. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference. Demshar, J. (2011). Confidentiality and Privacy in the "Techno-World" of the Internet. Florida Nurse, 59(4), 13. Gellman, R., & Dixon, P. (2011). Online privacy: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Grubbs, D. (2011). Privacy Law and the Internet using Facebook.com as a Case Study. University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. Retrieved from http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/1369 Jeffrey, S. (2012). A new Digital Dark Age? Collaborative web tools, social media and long-term preservation. World Archaeology, 44(4), 553-570. Kachhi, D., & Link, M. W. (2009). Too Much Information: Does the Internet Dig Too Deep?. Journal Of Advertising Research, 49(1), 74-81. Klosek, J. (2007). The war on privacy. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers. Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research methodology: Methods & techniques. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd. O Bien, D., & Torres, A. M. (2012). Social Networking and Online Privacy: Facebook Users Perceptions. Irish Journal Of Management, 31(2), 63-97. Papacharissi, Z. (2011). A Networked Self: Identity, Community and Culture on Social Networks Sites. Taylor & Francis. Ray, A. K. (2004). Information technology: Principles and applications. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. Solove, D et al. (2006). Privacy, information, and technology. New York: Aspen Publishers. Trepte, S. (2011). Privacy Online: Perspectives on Privacy and Self-Disclosure in the Social Web. (2011). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Zheleva, E. M., Terzi, E., & Getoor, L. (2012). Privacy in social networks. 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