The Importance of Privacy

by Tallulah Habib

In all the glory of social networking, how often do we forget to take into account our own safety?

Google’s new Buzz feature has come under fire for privacy invasion. In San Francisco a class action suit is being filed against them. “Why all the fuss?” you may ask.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg may argue that privacy is a thing of the past, but privacy can often be more than just a preference – it can be about safety. Social networking can (and will) tempt you to reveal all kinds of information. Sometimes you can hold a company (such as Google) responsible, but sometimes the onus is on you to decide just how much you want the general public to know.

A recent example is the social networking game Foursquare, which enables you to discover new people and places and earn points each time you “check in” at a location by sending your whereabouts to Twitter. Aside from being an ideal tool for stalkers, here’s something else to worry about: three guys calling themselves “Forthehack” put up a website last week called Please Rob Me. The site broadcasts search results of people using Foursquare leaving home and, therefore, leaving their houses empty. This, combined with data gleaned when users post their addresses as locations for get-togethers, could be very helpful for burglars.

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