Entries Tagged 'CyberBullying' ↓

What would you do if a friend of a friend asked you for an organ donation on Twitter or Facebook? What would you do if someone mistook you for a murderer online? These are just two of the strange questions that come up in today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits.

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Would You Give Your Kidney to a Facebook Friend?

How far would you go for an Internet acquaintance? This article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune details the story of Chris Strouth who used his Twitter account to plead for a new kidney when doctors told him he needed a replacement to fight the Berger’s disease that had him on dialysis. Amazingly, Strouth got 19 responses offering a spare kidney, with one man, Scott Pakudaitis, being a match.

Before the surgery, Pakudaitis and Strouth didn’t know each other well, though they were casually acquainted on Facebook through mutual friends. While this story seems unlikely to occur often, doctors argue that social networking is actually the next logical step in soliciting organ donation. In other words, don’t be surprised if someday you get a request from an old high school friend for a new kidney.

Despite Decline, Facebook is Central to Teenage Internet Use

At the Wall Street Journal blog The Source, Paul Sharma discusses new research which shows how teens are using social media websites. The research suggests that teens use Facebook as a central hub to connect and communicate with their friends, but they spend the majority of their time online visiting websites based on specific interests, i.e. music, games, or movies. This trend is supported by the fact that although the number of teens using Facebook has increased, the number of time teens spend on Facebook has decreased.

UK Man Wrongfully Identified as Murderer on Facebook

In 1993, 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were convicted of the murder of three-year-old James Bulger. The barbarity of the crime, as well as the young age of the defendants, struck a chord with the British public, and has been a painful issue ever since. So painful in fact, that when the killers were released from prison, they were given new identities to protect them from vigilantes who wished to cause them harm or even kill them.

The problem with giving the killers anonymity, however, is that has led to incidences of mistaken identity. In particular, one man, David Calvert, has lived in fear for his life since he was mistaken for Venables five years ago. Recently, the problem arose again, though this time it became a much bigger concern thanks to Facebook.

Over a few days, a Facebook group incorrectly identifying Calvert as Venables exploded to more than 2,370 members. While Facebook has removed the group in question, that hasn’t stopped people from threatening him and showing up at his home and telling his neighbors that he is a murderer.

Cyberbullying Forces Internet Companies to Reexamine Privacy Policies

Since three Google executives were convicted of privacy violations in an Italian court recently, the Internet industry has been wondering how far they should be expected to go to in censoring content online. This Reuters article discusses some of the many issues facing Internet companies that could prompt government intervention or revisions of existing Internet laws. Specifically, the article touches on cyberbullying, which has become a major problem for kids and teens all over the world.

Woman Stung by “Burn Page” on Facebook

When Facebook changed over its privacy settings a few months back, many people were shocked to find that their private pictures had been defaulted to public sharing. While Facebook did their best to inform users of the change, not everyone got the message, which has led to some embarrassing incidents.

For instance, a Philadelphia women, Tamara Strickland, explains how a photo that she thought was private was taken from her profile and posted on a Facebook Fan Page called Philly Burn. The goal of the Philly Burn Fan Page is to mock and degrade pictures of strangers found through publicly accessible photo albums.

When the news station writing the story contacted Facebook about the Fan Page, Facebook promptly removed it, saying it was in violation of the company’s terms of service. Nevertheless, Tamara and many others were forced to face an uncomfortable and embarrassing public roasting over which they had no control, which is something that Facebook should have considered before they go through a major restructuring of privacy controls.

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West Virginia House of Delegates Passes Cyberbullying Legislation

The West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill making it a criminal offense to “use a fake name to post online language meant to cause emotional or physical injury.” The legislation still has to pass in the senate, but it passed in the House with a 92-3 vote. West Virginia isn’t the first state to consider making cyberbullying a crime and as it becomes more of an issue, I would not be surprised to see another effort at creating a federal law, similar to the one attempted by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez.

Social Media Helps Spin Phony Bridal Expo in Boston

In Boston, brides and wedding vendors are feeling embarrassed after learning that a bridal show they were planning to attend was nothing but a sham. In addition, the con artists who set up the phony event have defrauded dozens of vendors of thousands of dollars. The criminals used Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites to enhance the legitimacy of the show, proving that just because you read about it online, doesn’t mean that it’s true.

What Does It Take for Facebook to Give Up Your Info?

A man is claiming to have uncovered internal documents from Facebook and Comcast that detail each company’s policies on turning over user information to the law enforcement community. Obviouly, there is nothing illegal about either Facebook or Comcast’s policies (companies are legally bound to provide information if ordered to do so by a court), but the information is interesting to read regardless.

Google Enhances Privacy Features on Google Chrome Beta

Perhaps in an effort to shore up lingering feelings of distrust over the privacy fiasco of Google Buzz, Google has added enhanced security features to their Windows version of Google Chrome. The improved privacy features allow for “better browser cookie managment,” which is something that is definitely useful for users who wish to inhibit data mining of their surfing habits.

How Prepared is the United States for a Cyberattack?

According to the New York Times, “the Obama administration on Tuesday plans to declassify portions of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, created during the Bush administration as a secret effort to harness the nation’s defensive and offensive strategies for protecting commercial and government networks.” The effort is intended to show that the US government is prepared for a large-scale cyberattack (something that many computer security experts say is a distinct possibility in the future).

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In today’s Reputation Management, Internet Privacy, and Social Media Quick Hits, we learn why it is important to think before you post a joke on Facebook, and why privacy seems to be a much more important issue in Europe than in the United States.

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Australian Government Seeks Answers for Internet Safety Concerns

20 Australian high school students have been suspended for establishing a Facebook page mocking one of their teachers. This latest incident comes on the heels of two other Facebook-related incidents in Australia, which has prompted the Prime Minister to consider appointing an Internet ombudsmen to act as a liaison between Internet companies and the government to resolve issues of cyberbullying, hacking, and other cyber crimes.

Bug Temporarily Reroutes Facebook Messages

For a brief period of time yesterday evening, some Facebook users had their messages accidentally rerouted to different people. The bug, which Facebook says was fixed by engineers quickly, only affected a small percentage of users. Nevertheless, how embarrassing would it be to find out a personal message was rerouted to a total stranger.

Twitter Phishing Attacks Claim UK Bank as Victim

Over night, a number of high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised by a phishing attack causing pornographic direct messages to be sent to the infected user’s followers. One of the Twitter accounts compromised was the UK bank First Direct. The attack underscores the importance of maintaining tight security, using strong passwords, not clicking on any suspicious links, and being prepared with a communications strategy should an attack occur.

European Union Voices Objections Over Google Street View

The European Union is again criticizing Google over its popular but controversial Street View program. According to CNET, the EU has sent Google a letter insisting that the company “warn towns and cities before it snaps photos” and “cut the time it keeps the original photos online from a year to six months.” For its part, Google says it does everything within its power to preserve the anonymity of individuals who might be caught on camera and that, furthermore, the pictures Google takes for Street View are all on public property.

Google’s Italian Court Case Was Lose-Lose

The European Union’s latest objection over Street View is just the latest problem for Google in Europe. In a PCWorld article, Jared Newman examines the recent Italian court decision that found three Google executives in violation of privacy laws for not working faster to remove a web video of three teens bullying a mentally disabled child. In his editorial, Newman argues that, even if the Google execs were found not guilty, the outcome was always going to be lose-lose for Google.

University Professor Suspended Over Joke on Facebook

A university professor has been suspended indefinitely after making a joke on her Facebook page about hiring a hitman to shoot her students. The Facebook postings, which were intended to be humorous, were seen by administrators as a legitimate threat to student safety. In light of a recent shooting at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, the administrators may have been right to be suspicious. If they hadn’t acted, and the professor was serious, they surely would have faced criticism for not taking the threat seriously.

On the Internet, it can be difficult to tell if someone is joking, particularly when the issue at hand involves the threat of violence. As demonstrated in this case, as well as in the case of a man who was banned from a UK airport for life after making a joke on Twitter, it is important for social media users to be extremely considerate of what they post online.

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In yet another story highlighting the tragic consequences of cyberbullying, a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl hung herself after facing psychological abuse and harassment from bullies in school and online. According to ABC News, Phoebe Prince, an Irish immigrant and new arrival to the small Massachusettes town, committed suicide in part because she “had been teased incessantly, taunted by text messages and harassed on social networking sites like Facebook.” The news of Phoebe Prince’s suicide comes not long after a number of other tragic teen deaths, including the suicide of a 13-year-old Florida girl who had been victimized in school for “sexting.”

It is unclear at this point whether any formal charges will be sought against the individuals who bullied the girl, but the district attorney covering the case has said that there is an “open investigation” in place. For many child advocates, this latest incident has renewed interest in the development of cyberbullying legislation, something that was first considered in 2008 following the suicide of teenager Megan Meier. In an editorial for the Boston Herald, Margery Eagan echos the call for more substantial punishment for cyberbullies.

From the article:

When South Hadley authorities find the girls who drove Phoebe Prince to take her own life, they should prosecute them.

Stop pretending they’re just cruel and nasty girls being girls. They’re criminal torturers.

Once upon a time, as the bullied among us know, the torment ended at our front door. We were safe at home, enclosed by four walls, relieved, at least until the next morning at school.

But in wired-up 2010, there is no escape. The taunts come right through the bedroom walls. South Hadley High’s principal said Phoebe Prince was targeted via texts on her cell phone and taunts on her computer and Facebook and other social networking sites. Her tormentors had access 24 hours a day.

While the development of anti-cyberbullying legislation may help states prosecute cyberbullies more severely, truthfully, there is no guarantee that it will reduce the number of  cyberbullying incidents. As we wrote last week, kids and teens spend nearly every waking hour using digital technologies. Spending free time online has become the de facto pastime of our nation’s youth. To this end, the most effective way to prevent cyberbullying is to have an active and ongoing dialogue with your children about their Internet use and to spend time monitoring their behavior on the web for any warning signs of possible abuse.

For more information on talking to your kids about their Internet behavior, along with other suggestions to help stop cyberbullying before it stars, check out our guide on how to recognize and prevent cyberbullying.

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