Internet Invasion: Online Privacy

Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Jen Cotto in Feature

Imagine this scenario. You just graduated from PUC with your bachelor’s degree. After a very educational internship at a major corporation, you are ready to enter the work force and take on the world. You find a great company who has agreed to interview you for a position you have always wanted. You’ve sent your resume, a remarkable portfolio, and you have even provided them with first class professional references. There you are, they day of the interview, in your favorite suit and ready to impress your potential employer. When you sit down for the interview, you are shocked to hear the GM of the company quote your Facebook status and ask you to elaborate. Think this is a little farfetched? Think again! Believe it or not, this is actually happening more than you think. More and more in this increasingly competitive economy, employers and even colleges and universities are checking out every detail of your life.

It is nothing new that potential employers and educational institutions at every level check and double check your references, GPA, and credit scores among other information; but as the unemployment rate reaches an inconceivable 10 percent in the nation, employers now have the luxury to be picky. And it’s not just employers; colleges and universities are also tapping in to social networking sites to determine a student’s admission to both under graduate and graduate programs. Everyone wants to know every detail of your life, not just professionally and academically, but also personally—and there is no better place to find it than the World Wide Web.

How they do it

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you most likely have a myspace, facebook, or other social networking site. If you do, you probably haven’t given much thought to the fact that all kinds of people have access to personal information on your site. People that you don’t know can have access to every detail of your personal information. Have you stopped to think lately if you would want your boss or teachers looking at what you have on your facebook? According to Marcia Muller, Human Resource and Operation Manager of Spanish Broadcasting System, a national radio and television company, if you don’t feel easy with the idea of your boss or teachers looking at what you have up there, then you should probably take it down. “Companies are now using social networking sites to see the personal lives of potential employees and interns. Most corporations are increasingly interested not only in professional credentials, but in the characters of those we are looking to hire. We want to make sure that even when off the job, our employees will represent the image of our stations in a professional way.” Muller explains that even when a person intentionally makes a social networking profile public for all to see, for example on-air talent like Disk Jockeys or Television personalities, companies will seek out your personal profiles and study every detail of what you have posted for everyone to see.

But, what if your profile is private? “There are always ways to get around a private profile” Sais Muller. “Everyone is connected with someone you know, one way or another, so even if your profile is private, someone you know may have photos of videos of you, and there is a loop-hole where someone can access that information” Muller says. If it is on the web, eventually it will make its way to anyone who wants to access it.

Feel invaded?

That’s because you are. Although every social networking site has privacy policies and you are, to a certain extent, protected by the law, what you put on the internet is there for potentially everyone to see. So, when you post or upload information on line, think about what you are posting. Just like any other information, if you wouldn’t want certain people to access it, it’s best to be left off the web. Here at PUC there are also ways in which you can protect yourself. According to Juan Balderas if ITSS, the only way anyone in school can access information or files on your computer is if you have file sharing enabled. So, if you don’t have personal files on your “share” folder, your information is safe. Juan says ITSS does not have access to the files on your computer, and even if someone did try to access your PC, it would require your approval.

When it comes to your privacy and protecting your image, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Take a moment to think about what you have on the web, and what files you are sharing with everyone at school. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable with your PUC advisor, or your boss looking at those videos or pictures, its best you take it down. You are the only one who can take control of the information that is shared, and I recommend you do.

Tags: 86.4, Featured, internet, privacy