Youth, Social Networks and Data Protection

The revolution that has led to the emergence of social networking phenomenon has brought, besides indisputable advantages, many problems in relation to different areas, but mainly focused on the right to honor, self-image, intimacy and privacy of personal data.

And these are accentuated with special virulence in protected sectors, such as youth and even children, who are also making more intensive use of these new tools, which are the group most at risk of potential effects pernicious.

The stories, adventures and misadventures of youth were not long ago in memory of their players, their parents suffered in certain cases, and in occasional trim duly Journal. Today the situation has changed and young people share their experiences in the network, commenting, illustrate them with photos, videos, being perfectly dressed this content across a sort of personal data, which also replicate in other networks, other forums are sent to multiple recipients, and so on.

Despite the restrictions on access to the profiles, is very frequent loss of control over data and information, becoming in many cases almost impossible to recover, with negative consequences that may result to the owners.

Companies taking advantage of this phenomenon, using social networks to approach the profile of their candidates, deeper, know your hobbies, interests, friends, character, personality, etc.. Many young people who enter the working world now, and have shared much of his "life" in the network are exposed to the companies know all the information shared by them and disclosed on the Internet, and this can cause a significant hindrance in their choice of job placement.

For all this, it is vital, first, awareness and education. In schools, colleges and institutes to inform and educate the youth of the importance of ensuring your privacy, be careful with all the information you get on the network, they share with their friends, that even stored on mobile devices to avoid the possible consequences.

And if education provides the first support pillar on which the solution to this phenomenon, another important aspect is the policy and the need to impose restrictions on providers of services, especially social networks important for the user to clear data treatment that is made of the data provided, the transferee thereof, use in connection with commercial or promotional aspects, etc.. Also provide simple and perfectly visible mechanisms for removal of content, changing the privacy policy, or low user profiles.

The European Union is already working on it, and is preparing a legislative proposal Oblivion Law on Social Networks, which will hopefully soon see the light. In Spain, meanwhile, currently exist to protect the rights instruments that can be violated in these areas, primarily through the Law 15/1999, of Protection of Personal Data (Act) and Law 34/2002 of Services Information Society (LSSI), which, however, strike us as insufficient for the size and scope of the problem can be tackled only when there is a real social conscience of it, which go hand in hand with clear and effective policy instruments.