For a few years now, I have been interested in learning more about data security, so I was excited to spend time analyzing my own data. In terms of social media, I predominately use Snapchat and Instagram, but have recently started getting into Facebook and Tiktok during the quarantine. Because I have had Instagram the longest, I decided to download my data from there. I started to sort through the information, looking through the main folders labeled ‘direct’, ‘photos’, ‘profile’, ‘stories’, and ‘videos’. As I sifted through, the information I found most shocking was the comment history. I was able to see every comment I have ever made on an Instagram post since I downloaded the app in 2015. This was eye-opening because I always knew that social media platforms tracked what I did on their apps, but actually seeing all of the comments I have ever made in front of me highlighted the potential danger of these social media platforms.
The data showed the comment itself, the post I was commenting on, and the exact time I made the comment. The more I sifted through the data, the more I began to grasp the gravity of what I was doing. Instagram, like all the other popular social media platforms, knows where I am, what I am doing, and who I interact with almost all the time. Prior to spending this time with my data usage, I honestly did not see the threat of social media outlets on security. Now — being forced to critically analyze the information that these social media outlets have not just on me, but on millions of people — it is making me take a hard look on the amount of trust that I once placed in these platforms.
Since going through my own Instagram data, I have started to look out for issues of data security and social media in the news. I recently was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a video from a U.S. Representative speaking about the data security issues within Tiktok. Tiktok has recently skyrocketed as a social networking platform, now with over 1.5 billion all-time downloads according to Business Insider. TikTok is the product of a big-name Chinese tech company called ByteDance, and only has been around in the United States for a few years. Because of the relationship between the United States government, the Chinese government, and ByteDance, there has recently been discussion about whether TikTok could be a threat to national security. In November 2019, lawmakers brought the data security issue to Congress, ultimately causing some government bodies, like the army, to ban the app from government-issued phones.
Clearly, this app has the potential for a serious-enough data breach that U.S. government has spent the time to pass protective policy against it. I have friends that will not download the app because of fear about their data, and now I am considering deleting it too. Only a few days ago, I did not understand how dangerous social media could be in terms of personal and national security, and it should not take digging through Instagram data and researching data security to understand the threats. It is essential that everyone on social media has a clear understanding of the potential threats on their own data when they log on every day, because the lack of knowledge that the general public has about data security is potentially more dangerous than the breach itself.
Bon Dia Barcelona 