CSIS 340: Reflective Article on Risks of Social Networking Sites

This report provides a reflective analysis of the risks associated with using social networking services (SNSs). It summarizes an article by Haynes and Robinson (2015) that evaluates the accessibility of personal information on SNSs and the corresponding threats to users. The report discusses the identification of various threats, including issues related to user identification, malware, geo-location technology, and data processing. It also highlights the potential for misuse of personal information, leading to reputational damage and legal issues. Furthermore, the report touches upon the advantageous factors users attain from social media, such as targeted advertising. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for effective regulatory measures to mitigate the risks associated with social networking, considering the impact on individuals, particularly children and those with low digital literacy.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ARTICLE 5
REFLECTIVE ARTICLE 5
STUDY ON THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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STUDY ON THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES
Article Reference
Haynes, D., & Robinson, L. (2015). Defining user risk in social networking services. Aslib
journal of information management, 67(1), 94-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-07-
2014-0087
Summary
The article aimed to provide an explicit evaluation of the usage of social networking
services (SNSs) which develop the level of accessibility of personal information to the social
network providers in exchange for ‘free at the point of use’ facilities. In order to enhance the
areas of awareness related to social networking services, researchers David Haynes and Lyn
Robinson have assessed the rate of usage of SNSs along with the level of risks and threats
encountered by users of online social networking and the way vital typological factors have been
examined in order to effectively evaluate the level of regulatory effectiveness (Haynes &
Robinson, 2015). However, in the opinion of the authors, exploration of personal data and
information to a broad domain of public tends to elevate the degree of risk and threats towards
the users. Furthermore, Haynes and Robinson have focused on the approaches introduced in
modern days primary shed light to the development of effective mechanisms of assessing the
factors associated with risks pertaining to the usage of SNSs (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). There
can be witnessed a certain degree of apprehension associated to the vitality of individual and
social factors while observing the nature of information behaviour (Haynes & Robinson, 2015).
However it is perceptible to view the way individual show their responsiveness towards the
increasing trend of social media and the way in which various associations and regulative

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standardize and control the accessibility to use personal data and information. In order to assess
the rate of threats linked to social networking websites, the authors have evaluated a systematic
review along with the survey investigation on information experts in the United Kingdom
(Haynes & Robinson, 2015). A comprehensive literature review provided in the article
recognized the fundamental level of threat typologies which have been considered in terms of the
rate of applicability towards social networking sites, their focus on the dynamics of risks on
individuals along with the competence level of the tools to identify the forms of risks posed
towards individuals (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). According to (Haynes & Robinson, 2015), the
primary objective of the study lied on the recognition of the range of threats whereby users are
exposed and further to obtain insights into the degree of sensitivity as well as areas of concerns
for regulating risk factors. Furthermore, model developed to evaluate the increasing factors of
risks for engaging into social networking sites reveal the typology which has the propensity to
form a source of a model of personal risk of association to social media domain.
It is important to identify the vital aspects associated to information privacy regarding
individual information based on social media networking. The broad range of data exposed to
public regarded as ‘big data’ tends to reduce the level of safety and develops hazardous
situations to the lives of the users (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). For instance, while the
intelligence surveillance agencies aim to prevent illegal acts by pre-empting such actions,
individuals are often exposed to such acts and further may experience detention without any
strong association with those criminal acts (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). Furthermore, it has been
noted that geo-location data has been elevating its rate of significance in the process of delivery
of social networking sites whereby reveals location details through mobile service providers.
However these facilities reportedly aid the users through its improved services such as location

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details of public places, recognition of associations and peers in the vicinity as well as
neighbouring localities. In the opinion of (Haynes & Robinson, 2015) while advanced
technologies have aided modern internet users, the authors have identified certain areas of
concerns and complexities associated with internet risks which expose the users through
extensive revelation of personal information. Users tend to be highly exposed with the release of
personal information which often results to the destruction of reputations and further raising the
risks of exposing the users to legal action or prosecution (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). However
Haynes and Robinson stated the propensity of a greater degree of threats to administrative level
or society, if confidential data are revealed through social networking websites and are used for
illegal acts or to create economic disruptions. In the latter part of the study, the authors revealed
another way of considering the advantageous factors which users attain from the accessibility of
confidential data (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). Furthermore, a major proportion of potential
social networking users aid because of increasing rate of targeted promotion and advertising
which in recent times are highly used for gathering new customers or users. Each article used by
the authors have explicitly indentified certain levels of risks and destructions encountered by
individual users of social media because of the increasing rate of revelation of personal or
confidential information through the means of online behaviours (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). As
there have been several attempts in the past years to effectively distinguish the degree of menace
and hazardous scenarios because of the use of internet technologies, Haynes and Robinson have
aimed to concentrate on the level of unconstructive acts with social media usage.
Results
Haynes and Robinson in their study have stated the approaches implemented by
UNESCO report which has significantly distinguished the range of concerns linked with

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persistent engagement with social networking sites (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). However, these
risks are not evaluated as severe threats or menace which would have the potentiality to raise the
rate of threats towards the users. Several areas of concern have been recognized while observing
the rate of risk users experience such as issues related to user identification, malware conduct
covert information and supervision, with influential geo-location technology which is regarded
as a developing threat to internet privacy along with data processing and facial identification.
However the results found by the researchers have illustrated the level of complexities of the
implementation of technical mechanisms and tools to critical social networking systems (Haynes
& Robinson, 2015). Furthermore, the propensity of divergences between the level of
expectations of users and the structure of social networking sites can be witnessed. These factors
have identified a number of situational contexts which demonstrate the private ingressions posted
by internet bullies which incorporate certain confidential and vital information in a diverse
public domain along with the transitions formulated in privacy settings by SNS provider without
consent of users (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). While significant authors namely Vladlena et al.,
(2015) have observed the drastic shift in the domain of social technologies in the way individuals
in globalized era in order to collaborate and distribute knowledge for commercial and personal
purposes. Thus in recent times, organizations have been showing immense rate of inclination
towards social business modes and revenue streams. It has been stated that factors related to
social networking has been providing contributory role in the domain of business transformation
and has developed new areas of scopes and opportunities for revenue generation. Several studies
reveal the areas of avenues through which further investigations can be established on the role of
security observations in the context of social networking arenas along with the insights obtained
by social users (Vladlena et al., 2015). The authors aim to shed light in the study of security

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notices and further enhance the level of awareness of policy, regulations and practices about the
vitality of security observation to social media users and its decisiveness (Vladlena et al., 2015).
As existing observation has been noted to be constructively associated to the development of
self-recognition in conditions of menace that take into consideration of the reflexive concern for
dialogic conciliation within as well as between range of proficient range entrenches a broader
range of social understanding evaluation in conventional understandings based on demographic
factors (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). Furthermore, the article has offered an inclusive perceptive
of the types of threats which have its significance in recent times and is utilized as a foundation
for proper identification as well as categorization of threats encountered by social networking
users. However, certain risk factors associated with social networking sites have been directly
linked to the misinterpretation of information and data whereby others have been associated to
the data linked to individual period, behaviour and preferences. Certain degree of risks are
identified in European Union Legislation whereby it significantly has drawn concern on the
hazardous impact social media has towards children and the ones with low level awareness on
digital literacy (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). Thus, the rate of complexities associated to risks of
the illegitimate and offensive usage of SNSs which domineers over a range of fundamental
human rights. Risks such as cyber bullying, privacy violation along with assault on personal
reputation have posed destructive impact on the individuals. Furthermore, a range of mechanisms
by which geo-location information are obtained or further can be reinstated which result to the
rise of reduced rate of privacy and safeguard of the users engaged in social networking sites
(Haynes & Robinson, 2015). Results formulated by the researchers state the high rate of
insecurity as any strangers can view or gather personal information and interpret or utilize
through any means. There can be witnessed a dual possibility of strangers to categorize the

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confidential data obtained through social networking sites and further hamper the reputation of
that individual (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). As certain degree of threats can be considered to be
more decisive than loss of money or physical threat, the pressure from advertisers or promoters
can be considered to be more influential than life-threatening, as a high rate of embarrassment
and destruction of reputation can be experienced if other individuals make suppositions about the
characteristic of the target and intend to malign the image by claiming to be promoting their
brands (Saridakis et al., 2016). The survey thus provides an explicit understanding and
necessitates the development of model for risk associations further contributing to the value of
the observation.
Discussion
The survey conducted in the article of Haynes and Robinson has provided explicit as well
as comprehensive understanding of risks and threats associated to the involvement of online
social networking sits and the need to establish effective typology in order to evaluate the
regulatory productivity and advantages to the users (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). As the study
conducted by the two authors have been incompetent to reveal any significant or vital evaluation
related to the factors of risks and threats associated with social media usage, they focused on a
more inclusive form of assessment and linked the details of the evaluation with categories
developed in conducted survey and further expanded the domain of information services
pertaining to UK (Haynes & Robinson, 2015). The authors (Haynes & Robinson, 2015) intended
to formulate a model of risks from the investigation of the risk factors which have been identified
through the survey as well as the literature developed in the article. Furthermore, a
comprehensive typology has been developed which established a framework of associated risks
and threats which rise with long term engagement with social networking sites. Thus, the events

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and outcomes of each risk factor has been examined with utmost proficiency in order to
distinguish the association between risks, threats, misuse and also to develop a definitive and
useful set of consequences which might develop a greater degree of ability to serve as a
mechanism in order to effectively examine various regulatory approaches (Haynes & Robinson,
2015). While Vladlena et al., (2015) on the other hand have followed the uses as well as
gratifications theoretical aspects in order to explain the way individuals in recent times have been
using social media sites in order to accomplish individualistic needs and desires which often
include the regulation of maintaining one’s own social reputation and further develop
associations to find recreational ways. However, drawing similar understanding with Haynes and
Robinson, Saridakis et al., (2016) have aimed to examine the critical issues and threats pertaining
to the domain of information security and further evaluated the way association between digital
victimization and the actions of online users along with the perceptions and awareness of
personal data security on SNSs (Saridakis et al., 2016). The authors in their study assessed the
ways in which factors related to behavioural patterns on social media usage, individualistic
distinctiveness along with digital efficacy of internet users play a decisive role on the rate of
threats of experiencing cyber bullying, online victimization and damage in social image.

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References
Haynes, D., & Robinson, L. (2015). Defining user risk in social networking services. Aslib
journal of information management, 67(1), 94-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-07-
2014-0087
Saridakis, G., Benson, V., Ezingeard, J. N., & Tennakoon, H. (2016). Individual information
security, user behaviour and cyber victimisation: An empirical study of social networking
users. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 102, 320-330.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.08.012
Vladlena, B., Saridakis, G., Tennakoon, H., & Ezingeard, J. N. (2015). The role of security
notices and online consumer behaviour: An empirical study of social networking
users. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 80, 36-44.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2015.03.004 1071-5819/& 2015