Social Responsibility of Social Networks

While I think some of the media hype about the “dangers” of social networks has started to die down, I still always hear questions about the responsibility of the companies behind social networks with regards to privacy.

Social networks and online communities are in the business of providing a platform for users to communicate by sharing content, and ultimately their lives. They are in a sense, communication platforms, just like telephone towers are for cell phones, and the US postal service is for mail. Most (or at least the good ones) online communities don’t interfere with what people post and share. The freedom is given to the user to present themselves in whatever way they want. That is the beauty of social networks.

The same goes with regards to privacy. In my opinion, the only responsibility of companies behind online communities is to provide the proper privacy platform. The rest, is left for the user to choose and decide.

Disclaimer, here comes a rare political statement ….. So to people like Illinois Senator Ted Stevens, who is trying to ban social networks in Illinois, quit trying to ride media hype for personal political gain, and use your time and power to help solve real problems in this country.

[tags]Social Networking, Online Communities, Social Network, Social Responsibility, Ted Stevens, Illinois, Privacy, Brian Balfour[/tags]