By Inderscience
Image: Julian - Unsplash
There is a modern adage: If you don't want it on the internet, don't put it on the internet!
However, a review of research into social media privacy in the International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy has found that legal and ethical protections are not keeping pace with the volume of personal information collected and shared online. Moreover, a lot of inferred information that people don't deliberately share can now be gleaned by interested third parties from one's social media activity.
Social media refers to online platforms, websites, and "apps" that people use to create, share, and interact with content and communicate with others. People use it to stay connected, share experiences, access information, and build professional or social networks.
The researchers examined privacy breaches, regulatory frameworks, and the responsibilities of social media companies and users. They argue that the central problem is not about what people choose to post but what can subsequently be inferred or indexed by others.
Social media use leaves a "digital trail" of one's activities, locations, and interactions and can usually be stored, searched, and analysed easily by third parties, or at the very least by the platform providers themselves. The researchers suggest that even seemingly mundane online activities can reveal personality traits, shopping habits, political opinions and allegiance, and religious leanings.
The team argues that individual privacy and confidentiality support personal autonomy, civil liberties and democratic participation, strengthening the case for greater legal accountability and transparency from social media platforms. It also calls for improved digital literacy, so users are better equipped to understand and manage the risks of sharing information online.
Policymakers and other stakeholders sometimes argue that people who have "nothing to hide" have little reason to worry about privacy. But if that principle were applied consistently, there would be little need for frosted glass in bathroom windows. Privacy is not about concealing wrongdoing; it is about having control over who can see into the most personal parts of our lives, a principle that does not disappear simply because those lives have moved online.
Bilgrami, T., Singh, K. and Ahmed, S. (2026) 'The legal and ethical implications of social media privacy concerns', Int. J. Management Concepts and Philosophy, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp.306–322.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2026.154687.
Edited by Irfan Ahmad.
Read next: Could AI really kill off humanity within the decade? Expert Question and Answer
There is a modern adage: If you don't want it on the internet, don't put it on the internet!
However, a review of research into social media privacy in the International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy has found that legal and ethical protections are not keeping pace with the volume of personal information collected and shared online. Moreover, a lot of inferred information that people don't deliberately share can now be gleaned by interested third parties from one's social media activity.
Social media refers to online platforms, websites, and "apps" that people use to create, share, and interact with content and communicate with others. People use it to stay connected, share experiences, access information, and build professional or social networks.
The researchers examined privacy breaches, regulatory frameworks, and the responsibilities of social media companies and users. They argue that the central problem is not about what people choose to post but what can subsequently be inferred or indexed by others.
Social media use leaves a "digital trail" of one's activities, locations, and interactions and can usually be stored, searched, and analysed easily by third parties, or at the very least by the platform providers themselves. The researchers suggest that even seemingly mundane online activities can reveal personality traits, shopping habits, political opinions and allegiance, and religious leanings.
The team argues that individual privacy and confidentiality support personal autonomy, civil liberties and democratic participation, strengthening the case for greater legal accountability and transparency from social media platforms. It also calls for improved digital literacy, so users are better equipped to understand and manage the risks of sharing information online.
Policymakers and other stakeholders sometimes argue that people who have "nothing to hide" have little reason to worry about privacy. But if that principle were applied consistently, there would be little need for frosted glass in bathroom windows. Privacy is not about concealing wrongdoing; it is about having control over who can see into the most personal parts of our lives, a principle that does not disappear simply because those lives have moved online.
Bilgrami, T., Singh, K. and Ahmed, S. (2026) 'The legal and ethical implications of social media privacy concerns', Int. J. Management Concepts and Philosophy, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp.306–322.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2026.154687.
Edited by Irfan Ahmad.
Read next: Could AI really kill off humanity within the decade? Expert Question and Answer
