Social Media Muddles

Posted by Pamela S. on Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Whether you are using social media for personal use, marketing or to conduct research for an investigation, these online neighborhoods are becoming more complicated. You will soon need a map and a guide to find your way in this world.

If you compare this virtual world to the real one, there are similarities. There are gated communities where you can’t enter unless invited. There are security systems in place to keep out the riff raff and the criminals, and there are those who work hard to bypass those systems and take what is not theirs. Like real life, there are secrets to keep, gossips who spread rumors and people like us, who want to find out what is real and what is not.

If social media is a neighborhood, then Facebook is a landlord. No one is forcing us to live there, so we can’t complain when they change things without our approval. Facebook recently changed users’ contact emails. Gmail and Yahoo addresses now end with @Facebook.com. The email address you provided is hidden in Facebook’s database , and your new email is what will show on your page. Facebook has since apologized for not properly informing users of this change.

Also new to Facebook, the social media site recently acquired Face.com, a facial recognition software website. The application provides the ability to detect a person’s identity based on facial contours. The software lets Facebook users tag their friends in photographs, based on their facial features. So far, you can only use this application on people in your friends list. There are already numerous complaints about the effectiveness of the application and potential privacy issues that may result from the use of facial recognition software.

Social networking site LinkedIn is also dealing with irate users. The site used by millions of professionals to advance their careers and network with peers is being sued for $5 million after a breach caused by hackers allowed more than 6 million users’ passwords to be leaked online.

Most social media users also access their accounts on their smart phones. According to an article on Wired.com, major mobile carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon save information on who you texted, the content of texts and locational tracking information. They refuse to provide this data to their customers. According to the article, the mobile carriers will hand your information over to law enforcement without a warrant.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people are more likely to be truthful and disclose sensitive information in text messages than in voice messages. If you want a more forthright response, text, don’t talk.

Investigators have been checking social media since inception, but more employers are trying to find out the truth about potential hires and their current employees by searching social media. An employer needs to be aware that they could be stepping over the line. Read Top 10 Guidelines for Social Media Background Checks on ere.net.

Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Sheer has recruited the best from the FBI, DEA, IRS and Secret Service to build a formidable team at Sheer Investigations. Our private investigators  have the sensitivity and experience to handle the most delicate investigations.

Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Sheer has recruited the best from the FBI, DEA, IRS and Secret Service to build a formidable team at Sheer Investigations. Our private investigators have the sensitivity and experience to handle the most delicate investigations.