As the discussion over the level of security of social networking services continues to this day, new privacy concerns arise over one of the industry’s well known players. Yahoo is facing a new round of questions over its user privacy policies, after Reuters reported that the firm built a surveillance tool and scanned content of clients’ emails, under the directive of the U.S. Government.
Yahoo was already under scrutiny last month, after the official disclosure of the 2014 cyber-attacks on their platform and the exposure of data from more than 500 million customer accounts. The firm is currently being battered from multiple sides, especially in light of its upcoming acquisition deal by Verizon. Users and advertising customers alike have flocked to other competitors, such as Google and Facebook over the recent years, essentially putting a block on the firm’s sales growth and forcing it to negotiate its sale to Verizon for 4.8 billion dollars.
While other prominent tech companies, like Google and Apple denied having received a similar directive from the U.S. government, can the users of well-known web platforms really be sure of their data’s privacy?
I guess it all depends on the amount of trust and rapport that a company has built with its user base. Tech companies, through their recent comments about the Yahoo incident, assure the press and consequently their users that even if they face a similar mandate, they will in no way cave to the government’s demands and will pursue legal actions in order to protect their clients’ interests. But as many people say, actions speak louder than words. Companies have to actually communicate their commitment to their users through their practices. Such was the case with Microsoft for example, who has legally fought gag orders that would prevent it from disclosing events to users, when government agencies requested their information.
Increased trust and low concerns of privacy breach can only strengthen a network’s value. Educating consumers and providing them with alternate privacy options can also help alleviate any concerns. As Yahoo currently fails in regard to the above factors, user deregistration is bound to continue. Whether Verizon will back away from what some call an unfavorable deal with Yahoo, remains to be seen.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_services
http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Privacy-concerns-in-the-digital-world
