Social media and Covid

[adc82140]

We've had an incident on our local Facebook page today where someone who has tested positive has been identified and named. And this was done by the page admin!

Needless to say the response was extremely negative, including from me. The stupid woman took it down after a couple of hours, but not until I'd reported it to Facebook, and 15 people had shared it.

Facebook told me my complaint had not been upheld, and it was OK to do this. It beggars belief.

 

[kristiang85]

I think this belongs in the media thread-- it's about Social Media.

We've had an incident on our local Facebook page today where someone who has tested positive has been identified and named. And this was done by the page admin!

Needless to say the response was extremely negative, including from me. The stupid woman took it down after a couple of hours, but not until I'd reported it to Facebook, and 15 people had shared it.

Facebook told me my complaint had not been upheld, and it was OK to do this. It beggars belief.

Surely medical matters come under personal data protection, if the individual chooses not to make it public? Therefore as the data holder, Facebook should have upheld the complaint.

Unless I misunderstand the laws on this?

 

[island]

You’ve misunderstood how much Facebook cares.

 

[DB]

Surely medical matters come under personal data protection, if the individual chooses not to make it public? Therefore as the data holder, Facebook should have upheld the complaint.

Unless I misunderstand the laws on this?

Your understanding is correct in that medical data is sensitive personal information, in law.

However, unless it was obtained via an organisation the legislation won't really apply - it doesn't apply to private individuals if it was obtained from other private individuals, e.g. someone told a mate that they had tested positive, and the mate blabbed about it.

Still bad form of Facebook though - while it may not be an offence, it's certainly bad behaviour.

If the information came from an organisational situation, e.g. someone who worked in a testing centre gave out names of people who had tested positive, that would be an offence and they could be fined.

 

[nlogax]

I think this belongs in the media thread-- it's about Social Media.

As ridiculous as that sort of thing is and how little FB cares for privacy I think it's essential to draw a dividing line between news media and social media. They overlap in parts but they are definitely not the same thing. Wondering if we need a Social Media and Covid thread here..I'll start one.


I don't have a FB or Twitter account but I regularly read here and elsewhere of insane conversations on sm re. campaigning for total lockdowns, or indeed those just claiming the entire pandemic is a just a hoax and doesn't exist. Where on social media is there balanced Covid conversation that doesn't result in hysterics and misspelt sentences ending in multiple exclamation marks? Have you noticed a bias in either direction on sm platforms you inhabit?

 

[UP13]

On Facebook at least, unless you are desperate to have as many friends as possible, people tend to only have friends of people they get on with, who generally share similar views to them likewise people only follow groups that they agree with. Targeted ads will be based on your search history.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that Facebook is essentially an echo chamber.

 

[bb21]

Believe anything on social media at your own peril.

I am astonished, although I am not that surprised at the same time. In the current climate, that to me is basically bullying. If we (as in, the government) want to pay more than just lip service to tackle online bullying, we can start with this type of behaviour. (Not that I am holding my breath.)