By: ELISHA BELLO

DP/IT/13/003A

• It is undoubtable that millions of internet users use social

media platforms daily for self expression, communication

and collaboration. As the revolution in social media

continues, we have to talk about the risk of computer-

mediated communication. Some of this risks are more

unique to social media, why some are relevant to nearly any

forms communication but may take new forms online. As all

social media is hosted somewhere and facilitated by

communication technologies, risks are also relevant to the

intermediaries that operate online platforms and

communication network.

INTRODUCTION

In a layman’s language social media risks can be classified

into two(2) i.e User risks and Service provider risks.

• Involuntary information revelation.

• Involuntary transfer of ownership of personal data or

content to third party.

• Commercial exploitation of user data.

• Identity theft.

• Stalking (online and offline).

• Surveillance by state and third parties.

PRIVACY AND SAFETY

• Harsh criticism and other negative reaction to one’s online

profile by friends and others.

• Usage of sensitive and inappropriate personal or third-party

content in self presentation (including copy-right

infringement).

• Complexity of translating and separating offline roles and

one’s image online.

• Peer pressure to involuntarily disclose personal information

to online network e.g(top friends, religion, relationship

status, e.t.c)

SELF-PRESENTATION

• Ease and speed of posting increases potential for social

blunders.

• Common private behavior crosses easily to public sphear

where it may be considered inappropriate or offensive.

• Insufficient separation of social circle.

• User can run afoul of lose that were previously more often

applied to mass media, professional content producers and

public persons (e.g defamation and sedition laws).

• Copyright infringement.

SELF-EXPRESSION

• Internet service providers and social media sites can be held

liable for copyright infringing or otherwise illegal content

that users post online.

• Active moderation of UGC not very effective and can expose

to greater liability when moderators fails to detect illegal

content.

LIABILITY FOR UGC

• Failure to turn over user data to authorities may results in

fines to the service provider.

• Compliance may also lead to liability when proper

procedure is not followed and user data is shared without

care.

• Commercial use of user data and sharing with third parties

for such purposes may also expose to risk of lawsuit (though

strength of laws on protection of user data vary across

jurisdictions)

USER DATA PROTECTION

• If users feels that the terms of service are not fair or that

the service provider will not protect their data and

privacy, they may switch to other platforms or stage online

protest.

• When the terms of service attempt to transfer ownership of

user data and/or UGC to provider, users will likely also

react negatively and possibly also switch to competing

platforms.

USER ALIENATION

To further express my points, various individuals have

made comments that have further open the doors of hidden

social media risks. For example: A police chief in a state in

the United State of America said that because people tend

to post a lot of personal information online, that makes it

an important tool for the police. It can therefore be seen

that personal data are not protected online due to evolving

tracking technologies.

It can therefore be said that social media risks out weight

its advantages.