Privacy Public Opinion Social Network Privacy Social Networking
Government Accountability Office: Agencies Must Improve Social Networking Privacy, Security
An independent report recommends that federal agencies "improve their development and implementation of policies and procedures for managing and protecting information associated with social media use." The Government Accountability Office, an independent, nonpartisan agency, surveyed twenty-three agencies concerning privacy and security policies. Only half of the agencies have updated their privacy policies to take account of personal information collected through social media monitoring. Only a quarter conducted privacy impact assessments of agency social media activities. The GAO also noted that only seven of the surveyed agencies have identified and documented social-media security risks. In March, EPIC filed comments regarding DHS's Social Media Monitoring and Situational Awareness Initiative, identifying substantial privacy and security risks. For more information, see EPIC: Social Networking Privacy.