A read through most online privacy policies is enough to make your stomach acid curdle. And social media companies have more access to personal data than most. Some collect information you expressly give them, like your credit card and telephone numbers. Others gather data based on how and where you use their services. This might include anything from device and browser information to location intel. And some of it gets really specific - think about your last search query or ad click. It's probably all "fair" game.
Depending on the type gathered, social networks use data to enhance location services and target advertising (now you know why that sunglasses website you visited three months ago follows you all over the web). A few social sites even share certain information with marketers and/or third-party partners - in that case, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with those other companies' policies as they apply to you and your information.
"You may wonder how the Facebook for Educators guide came about …
A few months ago, Facebook recognized that a guide like this was needed. They asked me to write it. I accepted the offer on the condition that I could write without filtering or restrictions from Facebook. Facebook saw the value of a candid third-party opinion and agreed."
"Twitter reveals that the product - which will be rolled out to a select few this week - will incorporate the following features:
See how Twitter content is being shared around the web
Track the amount of traffic from Twitter to a company's website - including clicks per tweets
Measure the effectiveness of 'official' Twitter buttons
An API allowing third party analytics tools to incorporate this data"
"More and more, people are using Facebook to gather online, spark conversations, share information and ideas, and ultimately meet offline. Sometimes it's for a protest, sometimes it's for a party; sometimes it's in a country where discussions of public life are discouraged or even punished and sometimes it's in a country where freedom of speech is a part of life.
Facebook is a potent tool, but to use it most effectively you should make sure that you're taking steps to minimize the chances of people seeing your communications who you do not want to see them.
This guide offers steps for doing so. Follow it to organize more safely, but know that even if you do everything we point out here, you should still be cautious and skeptical when you're organizing online and take your online interactions offline as soon as it is possible (and safe) to do so!"
"Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. If an advertiser seems to be tracking you across multiple websites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser. To the advertiser, it's like you suddenly disappeared."
Smokescreen is a game about life online. Promo: We all use Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and MSN to keep up with our mates - and we've all heard the stories about parties on Facebook being mobbed, or people getting stalked on MSN. The question is, what would you do if it happened to you?
Over 13 missions, Smokescreen follows the story of Max Winston and Cal Godfrey, two mates who've set up an exclusive social network called White Smoke. After Cal's involved in a car accident and falls into a coma, White Smoke becomes huge - and starts attracting huge problems. Each mission explores the world of White Smoke, and players find out who they can trust - and who they can't.