Facebook Privacy and Security: Risks and Solutions
This paper examines the privacy and security challenges posed by Facebook, one of the world's largest social networking platforms. It explores how personal data shared on Facebook exposes users—especially children—to risks including identity theft, fake accounts, defamation, malware, and financial fraud. The paper also addresses the tension between internet censorship and freedom of speech, the difficulty of managing multiple friendship tiers, and the persistence of posted content. Drawing on educator, legal, and technology sources, the paper concludes with concrete recommendations for parents, adult users, and Facebook itself to improve security and protect user privacy without eliminating the platform's social benefits.
- Introduction: Privacy and Security in the Age of Social Networking: Social networking benefits and core privacy-security concerns
- Privacy Concerns on Facebook: How Facebook sharing exposes personal and family data
- Children and Teens: Heightened Vulnerability: Youth exposure to scams, strangers, and data risks
- Friendship Tiers and the Persistence of Posted Content: Difficulty separating friend levels and erasing data
- Security Risks: Identity Theft and Financial Fraud: Fake accounts, hacking, and financial scam cases
- Solutions for Users, Parents, and Facebook: Practical steps to improve safety for all stakeholders
- Conclusion: Shared responsibility for Facebook privacy and security
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What makes this paper effective
- Balances competing perspectives — the paper fairly presents both the case for greater platform restrictions and the free-speech argument against internet censorship, showing awareness of genuine policy tension.
- Uses concrete, named examples — real cases (Diane Solomon's hacked Yahoo account, Matthew Firsht's defamation suit, Bryan Rutberg's financial scam) ground abstract security concerns in verifiable incidents.
- Moves logically from problem to solution — the paper systematically identifies risks before offering tiered recommendations aimed at children, adults, and Facebook itself, giving the argument a clear practical payoff.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of authoritative citation to support claims across multiple disciplines — education research (Fodeman), legal commentary (Flint), and technology journalism (Kapersky, Greene, Sullivan) — illustrating how interdisciplinary sourcing can strengthen an argument about a multifaceted social issue.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad framing of social networking's benefits and risks before narrowing to Facebook specifically. It then addresses privacy in two layers — general user privacy and the specific vulnerability of children — followed by a discussion of friendship tiers and data persistence. The security section covers identity theft and financial fraud with case examples. A solutions section provides practical guidance for parents, adults, and the platform. A brief conclusion synthesizes the shared responsibility theme.
Introduction: Privacy and Security in the Age of Social Networking
We live in a time of constant influx of new ideas and concepts, made all the more rapid and impressive by advances in information technology. One area where the impact of technological invention has had unexpected and concerning effects is social networking sites. There are many wonderful advantages and benefits of social networking sites. They provide a great portal for people to communicate with one another, plan events and parties, and reconnect with old friends. However, there are also many potential problems. First, they can limit communication, since so much of human interaction is non-verbal. Second, they can lead people to spend all of their time in a virtual world instead of engaging with real people to accomplish real work.
These problems are minor, however, compared with two major concerns: privacy and security. No two issues cause greater concern and consternation than the lack of privacy and the lack of security. The question remains: "How can people achieve a high degree of privacy and security while also maintaining an enjoyable social networking experience?" The answer to this question is the subject of this paper. This paper discusses the critical issues of privacy and security on the social networking platform Facebook, and then examines ways for internet users to keep those concerns under control.
Privacy Concerns on Facebook
Privacy is an important issue to almost everyone, and specifically the privacy of children, family, and other personal matters. However, sites such as Facebook limit the level of privacy available to users due to the fundamental structure of social networking. For instance, many people do not want pictures of their children distributed widely on the internet for anyone to see, and almost no one wants pictures of their children paired with a corresponding city or place of residence. Such a situation is a nightmare to many parents who desire protection for their children. Yet it is worth noting that many parents allow this to happen constantly without even realizing it — and in fact, they are often the cause of the very situation they consider so dangerous. The reason is simple: parents post pictures of their own children on social networking sites where many people can see them. By tracing the location of the parent who posted the pictures, others on the internet can discover exactly where children are located.
This is just one example of the many ways social networking sites have created serious concerns about the privacy and safety of families. Because of this concern, many people want greater restrictions on social networking sites and better mechanisms for maintaining privacy. On the other hand, there are people who worry that censoring the web will create a whole new set of problems. Specifically, they raise the concern that censorship will limit freedom of speech and freedom of the press — both of which are important principles in democratic societies. Those concerned about internet censorship also argue that censorship laws requested by parents are hypocritical: if parents want the internet censored, it is inconsistent to post pictures of their children on social networking sites themselves.
Therefore, many people believe the double standard — rather than internet censorship — is the real problem. If parents were more careful and controlled what they made visible online, they could better protect the safety of their children. Flint (2009) captures this tension well: "If I choose to have a Facebook page on which I publish my name, address, bank details, PIN, mother's maiden name and the like, should Facebook have any responsibility to protect the integrity of that information from abuse?" (p. 8). In essence, how can we reconcile privacy with freedom of speech by demanding that Facebook solve the issue, and is it fair to ask Facebook to protect us from our own choices?
Children and Teens: Heightened Vulnerability
Others argue that social networking sites still bear significant responsibility for the safety of what they display, pointing to the alarming number of children and young people who use Facebook. Fodeman (2009) notes that an estimated 60–70% of seventh graders have a Facebook account, with the number even higher among eighth graders, and a growing number of fourth graders also maintaining accounts. It is a very difficult task to explain to young children the privacy concerns that accompany posting content online. Fodeman (2009) also documents the damage caused when young people do not realize how accessible their content actually is:
"Students and their families have been sued for slander and defamation of character. Students and their parents have been arrested. All because of the content they have posted in their 'private' social network accounts. People are trolling their accounts. Hackers, scammers, reporters, police, high school and college admissions officers, employers, parents, and summer camp directors.... Adults ARE looking and the kids do not get it!"
Because of the trusting, naïve nature of children and teens, there are literally thousands of scams on Facebook alone aimed directly at exploiting young people. Third-party apps, for instance, are so common and appear so innocent to children that they often perceive no danger. However, these apps are a haven for adware and spyware, and frequently result in serious problems. In addition, teens accepting Facebook friend requests from strangers is a major issue. Research indicates that somewhere between 47% and 87% of teens will accept friend requests from total strangers — a deeply troubling proposition for parents trying to maintain the safety of their children (Fodeman, 2009).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Facebook can be a great tool for organizations to coordinate activities, a valuable way for individuals to find and stay in touch with old friends, and an enjoyable means for people to interact with peers. However, there are many serious dangers on the platform, from malicious malware and spyware to cyber-stalking, identity theft, blackmail, defamation, and fraud. It would therefore be wise for Facebook to strengthen its own security measures so that users are better protected. At the same time, individuals must take responsibility for their own actions to ensure that their use of Facebook does not result in violations of their privacy or security. Ultimately, a safer Facebook depends on shared responsibility between the platform and its users.
Works Cited
Barack Obama warns US teenagers of the dangers of Facebook. (2009, September 9). Retrieved December 14, 2011, from
Businessman awarded Pound22,000 in landmark libel ruling over malicious fake Facebook profile. (2008, July 24). Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.thisislondon.co.uk
Flint, David. (2009). Law shaping technology, technology shaping the law. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 8.
Fodeman, Doug, and Marje Monroe. (2009). The impact of Facebook on our students. Teacher Librarian, 36.
Greene, Tim. (2011, January 20). Social networking security threats taken too lightly. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from
Kaspersky, Eugene. (2011, July 19). 7 things Facebook should do to increase security (Opinion). Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://mashable.com/2011/07/19/facebook-security/
Kennedy, Tim. (2011, December 8). Facebook controversies. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from
Mamoun, Fred. (2010, July 7). Facebook identity theft scam. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://www.nbclosangeles.com
Sullivan, Bob. (2009, January 30). Facebook ID theft targets 'friends.' Retrieved December 14, 2011, from
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