Personal Privacy Concerns in the Information Age

As reported in the Joongang Daily, the Korea Communications Commission yesterday gave the public some advice on how to use social networking services in ways that protect private information.  The Commission cited a recent study by the Korea Internet and Security Agency, some findings of which are summarized in the accompanying graphic (click to enlarge the graphic).  This marks the first time a government agency has officially acknowledged the privacy issues posed by such social networking services as Facebook, Twitter and Me2Day.
The KCC’s 10-point guideline advised users to set security and privacy settings on networks to the appropriate level; to agree to be connected with people only when you are certain who they are; and logging out when you're not using the SNS. It also warned users about publishing personal information that may be used by advertisers and marketers for targeted advertising. It reminded users that once they upload postings, they can be widely distributed through other Web sites without the user’s knowledge.