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Whose data is it?
It's no surprise that the battle for social networking users escalated this past week with Google's rollout of Google+ - and the subsequent tools that popped up (or resurfaced in some instances) to migrate user data from Facebook to Google+. As the battle tactics continue to unfold, it will be interesting to see how social networking community aligns itself with the warring camps.
So the question for the Focus community: If I have data about you that you have by choice allowed me to have, should I be able to use that data in other social networking platforms?
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3 Answers
This is a very intriguing question, Robert.
Currently, the rules of data ownership are very different in the US vs Europe, and the US rules to not favor consumers. If I give any business the authority to use some of my data, I essentially lose a lot of control about how that data could subsequently be shared. Sure, a business could post their privacy policy which informs me of how they *could* use that data, but my choices are pretty much use the service or don't use the service at that point -- and I still have to hope that they've properly purged my data from their systems if I leave.
Europe has a much better view of personal data control/ownership that I wish was adopted by the US, but I doubt will ever be. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Directive)
I wish I could say that the data remained mine in all cases, but the truth is much closer to being that the data is controlled by the business to which I relinquished my rights -- er, gave permission to use my data.
We should be very careful about just what we are willing to give up our data for, as the transaction tends to favor the organization (rather than the individual) in the long run.
Your extended question is even more intriguing, Robert. :)
One of the things that people did not like about Plaxo when it first arrived on the scene, is that it allowed party A to place party B's information into a more public setting than Party B may have intended.
If you and I are friends on Facebook, and I export your information (to which I am currently *entitled") to bring into another platform, such as Google+, then you may end up more exposed than you wanted, but I could argue that once you released that info to me, it became my info as well. My rolodex (physical or virtual) is comprised of data that also belongs to others, and was given to me.
I think it is disingenuous of FB to be annoyed by *my* usage of data I already have legitimate access to, since they are not content providers, but only content facilitators. Plus, they are willing and eager to use data that I have provided them for their own purposes as well.
As a user, I have to accept that once I grant usage of my data to a 3rd party (whether a business or an individual), I give up some control of it. Especially in light of the weak personal data protection rules in the US. Thus, I have to be careful about what I release, and to whom.
It is easy to see why FB would care about Google's use of this data, and not Yahoo's (for instance), as Yahoo cannot take advantage of it to the same degree. Usage of Yahoo mail is not necessarily going to have any impact on usage of FB. Usage of Google+, however, very well could have an impact on FB.
Individuals have to be careful about what they give up, and to whom. Businesses need to remember that they only *share* the data that are given them by users, and those users should be able to extract it at any time, and for any purpose that is otherwise legal.
Ah, the conundrum of who owns what and what can be done with it on social networks. Given the nature of those interactions, there seem to be more questions than answers. Businesses are also weighing in on the issue. In some cases, employers are demanding that former employees unlink and de-friend their LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social network contacts connected with the company. Not sure if that is legal, but it seems like they will have some recourse depending on what individuals do with corporate data.
A potentially groundbreaking case will begin being heard in next month. In November 2009, Brelyn Hammernik, a technical recruiter, left IT staffing firm TEKsystems but continue to send messages to members of her LinkedIn network that still worked for the firm. One message read, "Tom -- Hey! Let me know if you are still looking for opportunities! I would love to have you come visit my new office and hear about some of the stuff we are working on! Let me know your thoughts! Brelyn" In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis against Hammernik and her employer Horizontal Integrations, TEKsystems contends that the communications violated a non-compete agreement that bars her from contacting former clients and co-workers. It will be interesting to see what the judge has to say.
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