Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7807466.stm
I thought this article was really interesting because it details with a specific
case of impersonation on Facebook. I know that on the terms of service etc.
Facebook warns you that you must only sign up as yourself and that it must be
your true name (not that anyone really pays much attention to this part). I also
know that lots of times, especially with public figures, people wonder if the
account is legitimately operated by the person whose name appears in the
profile. And to be honest, there is no real way to know for sure. In fact,
there's not really anyway to make sure that the people you are "friending" are
actually your friends. But the people who use Facebook just have to deal with
this and be careful, there's not much that can be done about it- right? Aren't
these kind of risks inherent with a "social networking" site? This is where it
gets interesting. When you defame some one on Facebook are you committing libel?
How is Facebook supposed to keep tabs on this kind of stuff?
Obviously when discrepancies are brought to notice something needs to be done to
sort out the issue but it seems to me that these kind of things are going to
happen all the time and it’s simply a constant risk in this “age of technology”
that if you are a public figure someone might try and defame you. Facebook is
now just one of the many ways people can try and challenge the reputations of
those they don’t like.
I think everyone needs to take whatever they read by a stranger on Facebook with
a grain of salt. This kind of stuff happens all the time on the internet,
Facebook is just another, perhaps easier, way of impersonating someone online.
Just because Facebook warns people to be truthful it doesn’t mean they abide by
this rule, I think users should treat the website as they would any other online
source, with caution.
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4 comments:
The point about what constitutes libel on facebook is very interesting. For example, on celebrity pages, many people write criticism or even cuel remarks on the walls. It's really not different than people talking and bashing a certain public figure, except that it is permanently out there for the world to see. Personally, I think it is simply one of the risks inherent to being a famous person. There is going to be discussion about you and not all of it is going to be positive. You can't patrol every comment made on every blog, networking site, forum etc and furthermore, people are entitled to their opinions whether they are positive or negative. Individuals' comments are different from media stories and thus shouldn't be considered libel.
Your comments on this issue remind me of a discussion we had in class earlier this year. We talked about how to define a "published" work online and if people should be held responsible for their behavior on web pages and social networking sites. The web really is world-wide, a concept that is difficult to grasp for many of us, and it causes people to act irresponsibly. I'm sure kids on Facebook, Myspace, and Internet chatrooms wouldn't give out their private information if they realize that what they posted on their pages could be accessed by anyone. My article last year, "Framed by Facebook" talks about how high school and college studens aren't taking their internet activity seriously, and are setting up their own arrest. Like you said, people really should use the web with caution
Yes, we should all be wary about what we do online. There’s no way to tell who you’re really dealing with. But at the same time, isn’t this a little extreme? “A Moroccan was jailed for setting up a Facebook profile in the name of a member of the royal family.” Imprisoned? For making up one little fake webpage? I can understand if the person was stealing their money or doing another illegal activity. But there is not evidence given to suggest that the person was doing anything wrong. Facebook is so informal- it seems unfair to take such severe action against something that can be fixed as easily as hitting a delete button.
People often use the internet to attack others because they can do so anonymously. I'm not sure how easy this is to do on a social networking site, but it's certainly easy to do on a blog or chatroom. Some companies are now being hired to find negative comments about a person online and then remove them. The problem with negative criticism online is that between the time it is posted and the time it is taken down, it can be seen by many and spread around fast. It can spread even after it is taken down. If you post ananymously, you can't be sued for libel, no matter how destructive the comment is.
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