Without second thought most people are carried away by the social-networking hype and share information that otherwise should not be shared over the internet. They do not realize that they are giving away personal information or on the flipside intruding into some else’s privacy. Both cases fall under the purview of the Cyber Act under the Indian Penal Code.
For the sake of pulling a prank on a friend/anyone or in a bid to exact revenge, some may even go about ‘fake profile creation spree’. Some of the more serious cyber offences reported in Nagaland were circulation of indecent pictures (semi-nude) of a Naga girl and a fake profile of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, with a morphed picture.
There was also an instance where a Naga girl was requesting members of a group on Facebook to report a certain profile with her picture to the Facebook administrators saying it to be a fake profile created using her picture and name.
Another recent incident is the misuse of UTV Software Communications trademark. According a well-known national newspaper report published December 15, 2011, UTV had written a letter to the social-networking site, Facebook, asking it to remove a page that was using its name for deceiving aspiring actors. A case was filed under sections of the IPC for forgery and cheating.
Also, United States’ leading paper reported : “Faced with scandals and complaints involving teachers who misuse social media, school districts across the country are imposing strict new guidelines that ban private conversations between teachers and their students on cell phones and online platforms like Facebook and Twitter.”
At a two-day orientation course on cybercrime and cyber forensics for senior police officers in October this year, former Director General of Police K Kire admitted that Cyber Crime has become rampant in Nagaland.
According to senior journalist Al Ngullie: “The number of Facebook users has grown to about 540 million and the number is growing.
The figures mean that the social networking site is now an arena for people of all walks and intentions to converge. Where the conduit has been opened, so is vulnerability because the Internet is still an impersonal medium of contact and people stay anonymous.”
This leaves room for some people – including those with ill intention and even criminal bent of mind – to exploit and compromise, he says. “This has led to rise in cybercrime committed though Facebook over the earlier 6 years, especially.”
The other side of fake profiles
Enquiring on why people create fake profiles, a contender of a forum in Facebook stated that men and women use fake names “to chat up with people half their age”.
Another added that for the sake of playing online games an individual create numerous fake profiles to upgrade his game level.
Also, one stated that some create fake profiles for security reasons - to keep their privacy intact and for some “...being anonymous adds up to the thrill”.
How safe are you?
Is it just the offenders who go about misusing your information or the social networking sites are earning bucks on your expense?
Another case as per one of the UK’s prominent newspaper report, “..a group of Facebook users who are unhappy about their profiles being used in adverts on the site, have been granted permission to proceed with a legal case against the social network.”
Most of the time social networking site users ignore that when he clicks on the ‘like button’ of a brand in Facebook pages, he is simultaneously giving permission to share personal information such as date of birth, location or profession, his image and name, automatically endorsing the brand in question.
Expressing concern on the privacy settings of Facebook, a user stated: “...FB doesn’t have an option to deactivate pictures downloading...anyone can download and that’s one of the worst misuses!”
Another stated: “…in this media saturated world, one can easily succumb to the propaganda and rhetoric spread thru through networks like FB, of which some could be harmful especially for the impressionable minds. What I mean is, FB and its likes have made easier to propagate propaganda and harmful agenda.”
For the sake of pulling a prank on a friend/anyone or in a bid to exact revenge, some may even go about ‘fake profile creation spree’. Some of the more serious cyber offences reported in Nagaland were circulation of indecent pictures (semi-nude) of a Naga girl and a fake profile of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, with a morphed picture.
There was also an instance where a Naga girl was requesting members of a group on Facebook to report a certain profile with her picture to the Facebook administrators saying it to be a fake profile created using her picture and name.
Another recent incident is the misuse of UTV Software Communications trademark. According a well-known national newspaper report published December 15, 2011, UTV had written a letter to the social-networking site, Facebook, asking it to remove a page that was using its name for deceiving aspiring actors. A case was filed under sections of the IPC for forgery and cheating.
Also, United States’ leading paper reported : “Faced with scandals and complaints involving teachers who misuse social media, school districts across the country are imposing strict new guidelines that ban private conversations between teachers and their students on cell phones and online platforms like Facebook and Twitter.”
At a two-day orientation course on cybercrime and cyber forensics for senior police officers in October this year, former Director General of Police K Kire admitted that Cyber Crime has become rampant in Nagaland.
According to senior journalist Al Ngullie: “The number of Facebook users has grown to about 540 million and the number is growing.
The figures mean that the social networking site is now an arena for people of all walks and intentions to converge. Where the conduit has been opened, so is vulnerability because the Internet is still an impersonal medium of contact and people stay anonymous.”
This leaves room for some people – including those with ill intention and even criminal bent of mind – to exploit and compromise, he says. “This has led to rise in cybercrime committed though Facebook over the earlier 6 years, especially.”
The other side of fake profiles
Enquiring on why people create fake profiles, a contender of a forum in Facebook stated that men and women use fake names “to chat up with people half their age”.
Another added that for the sake of playing online games an individual create numerous fake profiles to upgrade his game level.
Also, one stated that some create fake profiles for security reasons - to keep their privacy intact and for some “...being anonymous adds up to the thrill”.
How safe are you?
Is it just the offenders who go about misusing your information or the social networking sites are earning bucks on your expense?
Another case as per one of the UK’s prominent newspaper report, “..a group of Facebook users who are unhappy about their profiles being used in adverts on the site, have been granted permission to proceed with a legal case against the social network.”
Most of the time social networking site users ignore that when he clicks on the ‘like button’ of a brand in Facebook pages, he is simultaneously giving permission to share personal information such as date of birth, location or profession, his image and name, automatically endorsing the brand in question.
Expressing concern on the privacy settings of Facebook, a user stated: “...FB doesn’t have an option to deactivate pictures downloading...anyone can download and that’s one of the worst misuses!”
Another stated: “…in this media saturated world, one can easily succumb to the propaganda and rhetoric spread thru through networks like FB, of which some could be harmful especially for the impressionable minds. What I mean is, FB and its likes have made easier to propagate propaganda and harmful agenda.”
