The growing popularity of social networking site has since undergone several issues regarding the confidentiality of personal data entered by users.
These are arguments that, for a long time, have been under discussion between the experts and have been almost entirely overlooked by the general user: the owner of the data to date portability, spam dirito to oblivion.

Some episodes went up to the headlines have been responsible for bringing these issues to the attention of public opinion and institutions (EU and national) are responsible for the privacy statements and that, until now, had entrusted exclusively to ' Self-regulation and common-sense suggestions.

Over the last few days has done much to discuss the case of the ' nurse of a hospital in Udine who posted photos on Facebook in which they appeared even patients hospitalized in intensive care (elderly intubated and unconscious) : The Directorate General Hospital (with decision arguable that threatens to become a dangerous precedent) has decided to ban its dipentendi Facebook and privacy Watchdog will start a ' preliminary investigation .

Just earlier this week (with involuntary timing) the Guarantor had published a booklet - which embeddo below - on the risks that the use of social networks can lead to privacy.

Finally, although with some delay, the Authority has decided to start an awareness of these issues with respect to all users of social networks.
The brochure, from the practical, positive, not a manual but an operational guide that contains many warnings and some "advice for their use."
So consivisibile, the Guarantor affirms the importance of the so-called "self-defense", ie the careful management and aware that every user must care for their personal information.

This means, above all, be careful what and how much information you give, the wording of the conditions of use of different sites (for example regarding data ownership, but also photos and video uploads), the possibility to cancel their profile (and not just turn it off as permitted by some social networks) and the fact that much of the information is indexed by search engines.

A user also aware, must also defend the privacy of others, taking care, for example, to insert a photo in which there are other people who have not consented to the publication.

In the booklet of the Guarantor is no lack of issues that raise concerns. First, the Authority stated generally that in respect of social networks established abroad "was not always protected by Italian law" under an awareness of this type would be desirable for the Ombudsman - in addition the advice of common sense - would provide certainty about the applicable law, specifying what rights and obligations of users.

And then the board is not shared (already formulated in the past by the Guarantor) to use a pseudonym in social networks and not the real name (and even different pseudonyms in each network). First, I believe that the use of a pseudonym is not positive in terms of user confidence, creating uncertainty about just who is behind the same, also, the protection offered by the use of pseudonyms in danger of not being effective as other could identify those behind.
Two University of Texas researchers have even developed an algorithm that can identify users of anonymous networks (the interesting study can be found here ).

The brochure of the Guarantor represents an important first attempt by the Italian institutions to create awareness of the use of social networks, but much more must be done. From a lawyer I think it important to clarify the precise set of rules that applies to social networking so that each user can easily know what their rights and their duties.
I am working on a project to do so, stay tuned