X (formally Twitter) is a microblogging site that provides its users with a platform to post and correspond with messages known as tweets. With a 280-character limit, users can post concise thoughts, images, videos, links, or real-time updates. These features made X a popular choice for breaking news and, through hashtags, made searching for specific topics or trends easier (X Help Center, n.d.). A tool so influential in the social media space, X attracted journalists, public figures, organizations, and individuals with the lure of engaging with their audience in exchange for their email and phone number for security and authentication purposes, or so they thought (Fair, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
X placed this prerequisite for access on its users in 2013 without mentioning that it intended to share that information with a third party, and between 2014 and 2019, it did just that (Zakrzewski, 2022). According to the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C), this sort of \u201cdigital bait-and-switch\u201d by X is unacceptable behavior since it was used to curate targeted ads for its users and is unethical practice (Fair, 2022, para. 1). X was fined 150 million dollars in 2022 over this misuse of user data, with more than 140 million users affected (Allyn, 2022). That was a slap on the wrist for X for misappropriating user data since each affected person\u2019s data was worth less than 2 dollars. According to Statista, X made over 1.17 billion dollars in Q2 of that year alone, with the majority of revenue being generated from advertising (2023) and amassing over 15 billion dollars between 2014 and 2019 (Macrotrends, n.d.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, this was not the first time X failed to protect its users\u2019 personal information. In fact, in 2010, X reassured users they could control who could access their tweets and that private messages could only be seen by those involved, but according to the F.T.C., X was making promises they could not guarantee (Fair, 2022). As a precautionary measure, X was ordered to \u201cprevent unauthorized access to nonpublic consumer information and honor the privacy choices exercised by users,\u201d and any deviation from that would attract \u201csubstantial financial penalties\u201d (Federal Trade Commission, 2011, para. 11). However, user data was still mishandled for a profit and was part of the reason why the 150-million-dollar penalty was handed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To protect future users from similar misappropriations of their data and as a resolution for its misdeeds, X was forbidden from using personal data (emails and phone numbers) illegally for targeted ads, required to notify its users about the illegal use of their data (including the order by the F.T.C.), explain how users may unsubscribe from targeted ads, bolster its security program to provide alternate multi-factor authentication options that do not require a phone number and report any privacy violations to the F.T.C. within 30 days (Fair, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, there have been growing concerns over privacy at X. According to the New York Times, X stopped making payments to Collibra (a software company that provides tracking services for compliance with privacy regulations) since the acquisition of the company by Elon Musk as a cost-cutting measure (2023). With mass layoffs and other expense reduction measures implemented since Musk took over the company, the F.T.C. is concerned that X may not be equipped to honor its privacy agreements. Especially troubling was that in November of 2022, three senior executives tasked with overseeing privacy and security suspiciously resigned one day before X was supposed to submit a response to a demand by the F.T.C. (Conger et al., 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, a former security executive and whistleblower at X accused the previous management of \u201cmisleading the public about security practices\u201d (Hirsch & Conger, 2022, para. 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These concerns and their potential for additional misuse of user data frame the discussion of this case study and beg the question, is there such a thing as privacy on X (or any other social media platform, for that matter)? How can users adequately protect their privacy and data while using X? Is becoming a social media hermit (someone who intentionally avoids or minimizes their social media presence and use) a viable solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discussion Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Further Information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allyn, B. (2022, May 26). Twitter will pay a $150 million fine over accusations it improperly sold user data<\/em>. NPR. https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/05\/25\/1101275323\/twitter-privacy-settlement-doj-ftc<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conger, K., Mac, R., & Mccabe, D. (2023, March 8). F.T.C. intensifies investigation of Twitter\u2019s privacy practices<\/em>. The New York Times. https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/03\/07\/technology\/ftc-twitter-investigation-privacy.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dixon, S. J. (2023, February 28). Twitter Quarterly revenue 2022<\/em>. Statista. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/274568\/quarterly-revenue-of-twitter\/#:~:text=In%20the%20second%20quarter%20of,data%20licensing%20and%20other%20revenues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fair, L. (2022, August 11). Twitter to pay $150 million penalty for allegedly breaking its privacy promises \u2013 again<\/em>. Federal Trade Commission. https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/business-guidance\/blog\/2022\/05\/twitter-pay-150-million-penalty-allegedly-breaking-its-privacy-promises-again<\/p>\n\n\n\n Federal Trade Commission. (2011, March 11). Twitter, inc., a Corporation<\/em>. Federal Trade Commission. https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/legal-library\/browse\/cases-proceedings\/092-3093-twitter-inc-corporation<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hirsch, L., & Conger, K. (2022, August 23). Twitter\u2019s former security chief accuses it of \u201cmisleading\u201d public on security practices<\/em>. The New York Times. https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/23\/technology\/twitter-whistleblower-security.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n Macrotrends. (n.d.). Twitter revenue 2013-2022: TWTR<\/em>. Macrotrends. https:\/\/www.macrotrends.net\/stocks\/delisted\/TWTR\/twitter\/revenue<\/p>\n\n\n\n X Help Center. (n.d.). New user FAQ<\/em>. Twitter. https:\/\/help.twitter.com\/en\/resources\/new-user-faq<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zakrzewski, C. (2022, May 25). Twitter to pay $150 million fine over deceptively collected data<\/em>. The Washington Post. https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2022\/05\/25\/twitter-fine-ftc\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" X (formally Twitter) is a microblogging site that provides its users with a platform to post and correspond with messages known as tweets. With a 280-character limit, users can post concise thoughts, images, videos, links, or real-time updates. These features made X a popular choice for breaking news and, through hashtags, made searching for specific…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4,11,10,12,9],"class_list":["post-27","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-case-study","tag-data-protection","tag-privacy","tag-social-media","tag-twitter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27\/revisions\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjsylvia.com\/commethics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n