Facebook has been regarded by most as the greatest invention in modern times. It was a Harvard University student that created this social networking phenomenon and redefined the whole meaning of social networking (Geller, 2010). Mark Zuckerberg, was then at the age of nineteen wanted to create Facebook as a tool for communication and would later become a worldwide phenomenon by redefining social communication and the meaning of community (Geller, 2010). Zuckerberg quoted that he created Facebook is to create a more open world for the community (Geller, 2010).
Source: (winandmac.com, 2010)
With functions such as searching for friends or getting the ‘social’ mood to know new friends who have similar interests, or just spend the free time to play available game applications such as Restaurant City or Farmville. Facebook users are also able to upload their photos or videos for other friends or users to look and possibly provide feedback or in terms of Facebook, ‘like’ it.
However, everything has its pros and cons. For most, Facebook appears as though there is no fault at all for this particular ‘invention’. Little do people know that Facebook is now the greatest tool for voyeurism or well-known to others as stalking. With the high rates of breaching personal and private information in Facebook (ABC News, 2010), it is inevitable that most do not feel secured using Facebook. In The Wall Street Journal, it is found that some of the Facebook applications violate the privacy policy by giving out personal information in order for others to track them easily (ABC News, 2010).
Source: (thesecuritypub.com, 2010)In the workplace, the rate of voyeurism is immensely high as most of the employees tend to watch what others are doing in Facebook (Star In-Tech, 2 November 2010, p. 11). According to an analysis report by Palo Alto Networks, a computer security firm, most would lurk and look at others’ activities in Facebook instead of playing the games applications that are available in Facebook (Star In-Tech, 2 November 2010, p. 11). The report also stated that this action would cause a great loss in productivity and a high presence of malware (Star In-Tech, 2 November 2010, p. 11). Besides, in most companies, employers would monitor the employees’ activities through Facebook (MyFox Tampa Bay, 2010) and that many people has either being fired or suspended due to controversial messages, photos or videos being posted in Facebook (Dash, 2010).
With personal information being breached through voyeurism, it would be common for people to hinder from Facebook. In order to gain trust, Facebook decided to introduce a new technology to prevent any actions of voyeurism (ABC News, 2010).
References
Companies monitor employees on Facebook 2010, MyFox Tampa Bay, viewed 12 November 2010, <http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/investigates/111-facebook-monitoring-at-work>.
Dash, R 2010, How to monitor your employees’ Facebook use, All Facebook, viewed 11 November 2010, <http://www.allfacebook.com/monitor-employees-facebook-2010-03>.
Facebook admits privacy breach 2010, ABC News, viewed 11 November 2010, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/19/3042594.htm>.
Geller, A 2010, ‘What’s behind this famous face’, Star In-Tech 26 October, p. 11.
Star In-Tech 2010, ‘Facebook voyeurism a part of workplace life’, 2 November, p. 11.
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