Myspace Article
Security and Privacy on MySpace
Is there security and privacy on MySpace? This can be a difficult question to
answer because there are many possible answers. There can be a certain degree of
security and privacy available on MySpace but as with any online community there
is also the potential for unsafe situations and violations of privacy. However,
there are a couple of ways MySpace members can ensure they are receiving the
highest levels of security and privacy possible. This includes being familiar
with the terms of service, taking active measures to protect yourself and making
use of the privacy features included in the software.
Read the Terms of Service Carefully
Reading the terms of service carefully can give users an understanding of the
amount of security and privacy available on MySpace. These terms of service
provide members with useful information for the types of activities or content
which are prohibited on MySpace. Understanding these regulations will help
members to understand whether their actions or the actions of other members are
in violation of the terms of service. While the MySpace administrators do not
have a policy of policing the community for content violations, they will
respond to allegations by other members of violations and will take appropriate
actions if the members are in fact found to be in violation of the terms of
service. These actions may include deleting the members account and taking
appropriate legal actions.
The MySpace privacy policy is referenced within the terms of service and this
reference incorporates the entirety of the privacy policy into the terms of
service. As a result members who join the MySpace community and agree to the
terms of services are also, by default, agreeing to the privacy policy.
Therefore, members should carefully review the privacy policy and familiarize
themselves with the terms of this policy.
Protect Yourself on MySpace
Members of MySpace do have a small degree of protection afforded by the
administrators of MySpace but they can provide themselves with a great deal of
additional protection by being aware of how the Internet works and using common
sense. Generic safety tips for protecting oneself on the Internet also apply to
the MySpace community. Just like it is not wise to give out sensitive
information such as your address or social security number on online discussion
boards, it is not wise to list this type of information on a MySpace profile
either.
MySpace members may think the information they post on their profile is only
being viewed by their friends and the members of their extended network but this
is not true. There can be many individuals on MySpace who are lurking and
viewing members’ websites all the time. Some of these lurkers may be completely
innocent but others may be harvesting information.
Making Profiles Private
MySpace does have some features which can give members an increased amount of
protection. The ability to make a profile private is one of these features. Most
MySpace profiles are public and are viewable by both members of the community
and nonmembers. However, those who wish to keep their website private can make
it only available to those on their friends list.
Members of MySpace also have the ability to remove members from their friends
list or block other members from sending them emails or instant messages. Only
members in your friends list can post comments on your website so if there are
members who are leaving malicious comments, you can remove them from your
friends list to avoid future problems. Also, if you are receiving harassing
emails or messages you can block users to prevent them from contacting you in
the future.
