One could argue that the introduction of the World
Wide Web to the Internet was inherently social even if lacking in direct
communications ability. Entrepreneurs capitalized on this deficiency. Businesses
appeared almost overnight competing to fill the void and establish competitive
advantage. Customers were clamoring for the offered services. Yet, as with any
business endeavor, the advice of the ancient Romans needs heeding, reminding us
“CAVEAT EMPTOR, QUIA IGNORARE NON DEBUIT
QUOD JUS ALIENUM EMIT – Let a purchaser beware, for he ought not to be
ignorant of the nature of the property which he is buying from another party” (FindLaw,
n.d.) .
Facebook, an entrepreneurial enterprise launched
in February of 2004, filled the direct connect void, and remains the juggernaut,
albeit dogged, of the social media world. Its reign has not been without
problems. In 2009 Facebook reset its privacy settings without warning
inadvertently exposing “private” user data (Taylor, 2012) . In 2010 Facebook
was found acting against its privacy policy, providing online retailers with
user information (Taylor, 2012) . Then came the
“Timeline”. Facebook has faced a near continuous maelstrom of controversy as it
continues to pioneer and chart the seemingly limitless, unknown waters of the
sea of social media.
Through it all the question remains. Should
Facebook be completely responsible for privacy of data users deem “personal”? The
legal, contractual terms of service suggest a yes answer so long as we ignore
how those same terms of service are further complicated by their classification
(“clickwrap” or “browsewrap” (Goldman, 2012) ). However, before
that questioned is answered perspective must be re-established.
The Industrial
and Commercial Bank of China, the largest bank in the world, has slightly less
than 153 million customers (China Daily, 2006) , both corporate and
individual, and employs 466,346 people (Google Finance, 2016) . Banks require
people to provide the most damaging of personal identifiable information AND to
trust them with customer money. Customers expect such institutions to safeguard
information even in the face of known, and unknown, dangers lurking on the Web.
Facebook has accumulated an average of over 1.13
billion daily users (Facebook, n.d.) and is currently
staffed by 14,495 employees (Facebook, n.d.) . Simply put Facebook
has just slightly more than seven times as many customers, is 32 times smaller,
and only requires your email address. Yet users, voluntarily sharing
information (I say voluntarily because no one forced anyone to provide anything
beyond an email address), expect their information to be provided a level of
security equivalent to Swiss banks.
In conclusion, I can succinctly answer the
question initially asked by unequivocally stating that Facebook is not
ultimately responsible for user privacy. The onus of responsibility remains on
the user. Each and every Facebook has a choice in determining of what
information is presented as well how he/she interacts with information
received. Any expectation to divert blame away from the individual is unreasonable
(based on numbers), unrealistic (based on reality), and continues to erode the
foundational concept of personal responsibility.
Reference
List
China Daily. (2006). Nation's largest commercial
bank launches IPO. Retrieved from China Daily:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-09/27/content_698025.htm
Facebook. (n.d.). Company Info. Retrieved
from Facebook Newsroom: http://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
FindLaw. (n.d.). What Does 'Caveat Emptor' Mean?
Retrieved from FindLaw:
http://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/what-does-caveat-emptor-mean-.html
Goldman, E. (2012). How Zappos' User Agreement
Failed In Court and Left Zappos Legally Naked. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericgoldman/2012/10/10/how-zappos-user-agreement-failed-in-court-and-left-zappos-legally-naked/#1e52c45c2f6b
Google Finance. (2016). Industrial and Coml Bank
of China Ltd. Retrieved from Google Finance:
https://www.google.com/finance?q=SHA%3A601398&ei=lNC_V_HgGYfVjAGR46CwDg
Taylor, C. (2012). A Short History of Facebook
Privacy Failure. Retrieved from Mashable:
http://mashable.com/2012/12/26/facebook-privacy-fail/#DU0Waq6V7SqK
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