Data Control and Social Networking: Irreconcilable Ideas?

HARBORING DATA: INFORMATION SECURITY, LAW AND THE CORPORATION, A. Matwyshyn, ed., Stanford University Press, 2009

24 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2008 Last revised: 27 Feb 2014

See all articles by Lilian Edwards

Lilian Edwards

University of Newcastle - Law School

Ian Brown

Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) - Fundação Getulio Vargas Law School at São Paulo

Abstract

The future of both law and technology will require reconciling users' desire to self-disclose information with their simultaneous desire that this information be protected. Security of personal information and user privacy are potentially irreconcilable with the conflicting set of user preferences regarding information sharing behaviours and the convenience of using technology to do so. Social networking sites (SNSs) provide the latest and perhaps most complicated case study to date of these technologies where consumers' desire for data security and control conflict with their desire to self-disclose. Although the law may provide some data control protections, aspects of the code itself provide equally important means of achieving a delicate balance between users' expectations of data security and privacy and their desire to share information.

Keywords: privacy, social networking, data protection

JEL Classification: K30

Suggested Citation

Edwards, Lilian and Brown, Ian, Data Control and Social Networking: Irreconcilable Ideas?. HARBORING DATA: INFORMATION SECURITY, LAW AND THE CORPORATION, A. Matwyshyn, ed., Stanford University Press, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1148732

Lilian Edwards (Contact Author)

University of Newcastle - Law School ( email )

Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom

Ian Brown

Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) - Fundação Getulio Vargas Law School at São Paulo ( email )

São Paulo
Brazil

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