One of the biggest problems with social networking, in fact with any online social activity, is anonymity. In reality, you have no idea who it is you are talking to.
This is not a new phenomenon. Since we have been able to communicate online, people have misrepresented themselves. Sometimes it is their gender, or their age, at other times it is their profession, or at least their position. Dating sites and on line chats are classic examples of misrepresentation through anonymity.
Recently, someone set themselves up as a representative of Exxon. Some may feel so what? However, if you can set yourself up to represent others, where does it stop? Online social networking in particular is capable of starting viral mis-information flows that can effectively destroy a business. All it takes is for someone to set themselves up a company representative and start revealing ‘information’ that is not only false, but very damaging as well.
The only come back for most businesses is to hope they can track the individual down and perhaps instigate legal proceedings. They could have the account of the individual closed on whichever site they started, but there is nothing to stop them moving on to the next site. In the mean time – the damage has been done.
While online privacy is a big issue and we all have the right to that privacy, online protection is also important. The time will come where every account holder will need to verify themselves prior to using their social networking or social media accounts. That is a lot of places with a lot of personal information. The more places you have personal information stored, the greater the risk of it escaping into the community.
Social sites may eventually be forced into taking action. It will only take one business to succeed in a lawsuit due to an attack by a fake representative. Perhaps the time has come to have an online ID card that can be used on every site. One set of personal data stored on one site will reduce the odds of personal information breaches.
Do you really know who you are talking too when your social networking? Do they really represent who they say they represent? If you’re a professional using social networking sites, then perhaps the time has come to verify who your contacts are!
