TASK 3: Social media considerations/issues

1. Account hacking and impersonation

Increasingly, spammers, hackers and other online criminals are targeting social networks. A social media account with a lot of information makes an easy target. If the hackers can get into your Facebook or Twitter account, they can impersonate you. This can create a lot of financial problems.

2. Stalking and harassment

One negative aspect to social media is the ptential stalking and harassment one can experience from strangers or from people that you know or have known. Online stalking and cyber bullying have become very serious issues and social media provides easy access to such threats/bullying. People can get hurt in every way.

3. The privacy downside of location-based services

Most of today’s social media users don’t access the services on a traditional computer; they do it on their smartphones. As social media continues to take advantage of mobile devices and location-based services, privacy and security are at major risk. In fact, most people’s smartphones automatically collect location data continuously, and social media apps are one of the most frequently used by ‘users’.