Ok folks, so we're going a little bit serious on you here....but we think there's some valid points to be made...
Privacy Settings. A very important aspect of life online, as our soon to be director of MI6, John Sawers, has discovered. Following his wife’s lack of Facebook knowledge some rather embarrassing media coverage has ensued. Who knew you could still buy speedos if you’re not an olympic swimmer!? Worrying…
I’ve been working in this space for a while now, but still manage to educate myself on pretty much a daily basis. Most people wouldn’t be aware of the ethics and codes of conduct that should be acknowledged and in some cases adhered to… obviously as they probably haven’t the faintest idea they exist. As technology continues to advance at superspeed, the general public always seems at least three steps behind. With landmark decisions in courtrooms continuously being made, even the law has trouble keeping up.
We have been warned those dodgy photos on Facebook may not make a great impression on future employers. Many of us are well versed in the post weekend ‘de-tagging’ ritual, but we now have to look to the actual job we do. With a recent ruling the identity of the detective constable behind the blog NightJack was revealed. His employers were not best pleased. It won an Orwell Prize for political writing, but alas, is no more. So our presence online can extend our freedom of speech, as long as we are willing to stand up and assume responsibility for it. Yet to do so, dependant on our employer, could endanger our job. This is a debate for another time.
With Facebook such a huge phenomenon, as a police officer how would they engage with such a network on a personal basis? There is no room for anonymity on such a site. I have it on good advice that although they are not ‘banned’ from using it, they are warned very heavily regarding content and presence. Yet what would make a police officer have a better understanding of privacy settings than the wife of John Sawers? There isn’t a workshop you can attend. So as Mrs Sawers has experienced, would an education in said settings come at a price? The experience could easily be something far more serious than a picture of their partner in budgie smugglers smeared across newspapers. With so much information being available on Facebook, without the correct privacy settings, it may not be only themselves and colleagues they are endangering, but their own families.
Luckily for Mr Sawer it seems only his reputation has been dented. When it comes to our police force though, whose relationship with the public can be somewhat tentative at times, it could be irrevocably damaging. Even more seriously though and not as far fetched as some may think, it could endanger lives.
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