Facebook has been criticised for social network privacy issues, now it’s the turn of the business social network, LinkedIn.
Although not directly a privacy issue, their decision to include names, profile pictures and information in connection with advertising has sparked furious debate. Rather than enabling their users to opt in, it launched with an opt out policy. Some sites are saying it ‘pulled a Facebook’.
I’m on LinkedIn and I missed the blog posts and the banners advertising the changes to their privacy policy along with many other users. I don’t mind my data being shared with people in my network, after all it is already publicly available, but is it fair to have an opt out policy when it relates to personal data?
LinkedIn say they have been testing new forms of advertising and that users can opt out if they wish. In their blog post – Privacy, Advertising and Putting Members First - they explain that the changes were advertised on their site in June. They have reiterated that they never share personal information with third party advertisers; the information used in the adverts is already available and viewable by anyone in your network.
How this dents consumer confidence remains to be seen. LinkedIn has been rapidly growing, but if users feel their trust has been abused will the site continue to be the social media network of choice for business owners? Perhaps it will encourage users to explore other social networks such as Google+.
Threats of Social Networking
Social networking privacy issues can affect everyone. You’re putting your personal data in someone else’s hands, so keeping up to date with company policy changes is essential if you want to protect your internet privacy.
Was LinkedIn at fault for making this change? As they say, they advertised it and gave users a chance to opt out. Should we, as users, have been paying closer attention or was it their responsibility to ensure that we all listened and understood their message before making changes? Maybe it’s a sign that we need to start paying as much attention to our social networking security as we do to our personal data security in real life.
Communication Surrounding Social Network Privacy
The key issue around social network security seems to be communication. Users have been caught out before and now a knee jerk reaction takes place with every potential personal data issue that arises.
Facebook has suffered rounds of criticism over the years. The creation of news feed was met with outrage when it launched years ago, as Facebook pulled out the existing data and published it in an accessible way. Yet now this is part of our everyday Facebook experience and without it the site wouldn’t hold the same value. Pushing social networks forward will always be met with a certain amount of resistance. Does this mean they shouldn’t do it? No, but perhaps they should rethink their PR and communication techniques.
LinkedIn Advertising Opt Out
If you would like to opt out of the LinkedIn advertising, then you can follow these simple steps:
- Go to the drop down menu from your name in the top right of the screen and click ‘Settings’.
- Click the ‘Account’ tab with the shield icon.
- Choose ‘Manage Social Advertising’.
- Uncheck the box and save.
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