Social networks, emails, chats, and text messages have become a vital part of our lives today. We don’t even blink before posting out personal content online. We don’t even think about what happens once your private content (photo, email, text, chat, or video) is posted online or shared via a chat software like Skype or Facebook messenger). I was amazed to see that many people takes it granted as their own private property anything they post online.
As a matter of fact, once anything is posted online, it’s not your property anymore. It is probably world’s property now. Yes, that’s right. If you’ve posted a video, or a photo, or sent a text somewhere, chances are you don’t own your online life.
What? What does that mean?
Let me put it this for you in simple worlds. Once you post a content (text, photo or a video) on Facebook, Facebook can do anything with that photo or video. They can read it. They can share it. They already store it. They can keep it for years, even you wanted to delete it.
Let me share Facebooks’s Legal Terms that clearly says that they may use any or all of your intellectual property in any way they want:
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.
When you delete IP content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others).
When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture).
So, not only Facebook owns your intellectual property but it also keeps track of what kind of activities you do when you’re on the platform. It tracks your online behavior, your activities, your chats and even more.
Facebook is not alone. Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter also have the similar terms and conditions. For example, Google tracks your behavior, habits, and actions and sends data back to Google HQ and shares with its advertisers every time you use its Google Chrome web browser.
What about private emails and chats? What about sending pictures in emails? Well, that is public also. Remember, any digital data (text, photo, videos, and files) are sent via Internet transferred using public networks. Google has been known for reading your personal emails.
Here comes the scary part. Not only companies like Facebook and Google owns and use your personal property but it also shares with the USA governments agencies, marketing firms, researchers, and analysts. Even worse, some cases are found that even data is being tracked and read on network levels. In a recent investigation, Juniper Network found that multiple version of its ScreenOS its network operating system has unauthorized code to allow backdoor entries and full access to the systems.
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong to using social media and other online websites but one must be careful what he or she posts online. Once you post any digital content online, it is out there for the world to consume. Do not post any personal information online such as your phone number, email, credit card number, bank account numbers, or social security number. Also do not post any photos or videos or comments that you do not want others to see.
Sridhar SharmaPosted Dec 28, 2015, 8:51 AM
very nice article
Upendra Pratap ShahiPosted Dec 24, 2015, 8:14 AM
nice information...thanks for sharing
Pintoo YadavPosted Dec 24, 2015, 5:11 AM
Thanks for your information sir
hussain baigPosted Dec 24, 2015, 12:40 AM
Nice informative article
Rhishikesh LathePosted Dec 22, 2015, 10:49 PM
Is it one of the reason for acquiring whatsapp by Facebook.
Santhakumar MunuswamyPosted Dec 22, 2015, 9:06 AM
Thanks for your information sir
Afzaal Ahmad ZeeshanPosted Dec 22, 2015, 7:40 AM
Great topic that you have started Mahesh, the problem is even worse with girls. Most of the pages, profiles and groups use photos and other media shared by girls, and some are worst cases where vulgar discussions are started. I don't have to explain, people know very well. So girls should be very careful when they post something online. I remember my previous visit to India, all of my journey was tracked by Google even though my data connection was turned off. That was surprising for me, because you do not have access to Internet at customs etc. so when I checked where I had gone, what I did and what photos I clicked there, I was "shocked"!
Gowtham KPosted Dec 22, 2015, 2:25 AM
Thanks for Sharing
Humayun Kabir MamunPosted Dec 22, 2015, 2:16 AM
Thanks for sharing...
Manas MohapatraPosted Dec 22, 2015, 2:13 AM
Good Information..
Kiranteja JallepalliPosted Dec 22, 2015, 1:56 AM
very nice article
Banketeshvar NarayanPosted Dec 22, 2015, 1:48 AM
Thanks Sir
Ankur MistryPosted Dec 22, 2015, 12:55 AM
thanks for sharing
Sibeesh VenuPosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:59 PM
Nice Share Sir
Pranav ShahPosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:37 PM
Thank you for sharing
Manoj KulkarniPosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:27 PM
Nice. Thank you for sharing
Ramchand RepallePosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:23 PM
glad to know this useful info, Thanks.
Raja TPosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:15 PM
Nice Sir, Thanks for sharing
Yashwant VishwakarmaPosted Dec 21, 2015, 11:05 PM
Nice and informative article !!