Big-Mouthed Little Bird

JOSEPH NEY-JUN
Staff Writer

Everything is instant in the world of today; information is expected to flow constantly and unrestricted, but not unmonitored. Millions across the planet use social media sites carelessly, yet few think of the risks of publicizing their personal information.

Created by Mike Dorsey in 2006, Twitter is one of the most prominent social networking sites today and, much like other social networking sites, users are given the “guarantee” of privacy–or the illusion of it. In reality, everything that people say or do on the internet is recorded, and can be seen by almost anyone.

The site is also free to share the personal information of its users with third parties. This is stated in their Terms of Service but most users never read the entire document.

None of this means that the site is unsuitable for use; however, let it be a reminder that users should always be cautious of the amount of personal information they provide online and the kinds of messages they submit. No matter how many times the “delete” button is pressed, it is impossible to remove information from the World Wide Web. With today’s technology, anyone and everyone can see anything.