Auchards Claim

Auchard’s claim that we have all become ‘’celebrities in a post-privacy age” due to social networking is inaccurate, for policies and features have been implemented to allow users to manage their online identities, and so privacy remains a choice. Policies developed by social networking sites are self implemented, but are also under direct attention of Canadian privacy laws. Social networking sites include features that allow the management of personal information. Such features also include the ability to choose whoever is permitted to view personal information, and what quantity of information. These policies and features protect users of social networking sites options and allow freedom to create there online identity, as however they choose to recognize. Policies and features on social networking sites are evolving rapidly. Social networking is not a modern concept, for people have been trying to share information since the Stone Age. However they lacked the technology of the present, but as technology and social networking evolved, privacy resisted extinction. As networking sites evolve more features will be implemented to aide control over information.

The government has created and is developing new policies that govern social networking sites. The information people put on display on their social networking profiles, is not up to the sites but the individual. Sites like Facebook let the user choose whether they want to display age, race, location, and occupation. The “publicness” as Auchard refers, is up to the individual, as the site has options to protect the user, the choice remains in the individuals hands, “but while policy makers ponder how to bolster online anonymity, social network users are more concerned about deciding what to recall about them next,’’ says Auchard. It is choice if people want to make very personal information public or private. The communities on social networking sites are individually created. People have the right to request, accept, and decline the addition of other users.

‘’Most users…report finding a stronger sense of community among friends, family,’’ says Auchard. These features let people create and maintain their online communities. They choice are to have small communities of friends, or a horde of unfamiliar acquainted and strangers, remains in a few mouse clicks. It is a person’s responsibility of letting which individuals view their information. Sites will always have features to allow users to keep information private or a degree of ‘’publicness’’. Social networking sites
are still in early development stages in the formation of social communication, and as they progress, stronger policies and features will develop, and identity protection will increase. Privacy will be further be enforced or reduced depending on the values of the social network user. To be private is a choice, to be public is a choice, to be a celebrity is a choice, and to use a social networking site is a choice.