Social media has recently been the public’s tool of choice for public discourse and mass mobilization, but local experts say that people who use it for naming and shaming have yet to realize the online digital baggage it can bring them and others.
Following the June 15 Stanley Cup riot, outraged Vancouverites turned to their blogs, Twitter and Facebook to identify riot participants. Some even created public pages devoted to people who have incriminated themselves such as alleged rioter Brock Anton who posted on Facebook that he “flipped some cars … (and) burnt some cop cars.”
“In the 13th century, people would’ve been in the village square to shame people and point fingers,” said Richard Smith, a Simon Fraser University communications professor and social media expert, adding today’s modern village square is Facebook and Twitter.
Those allegedly to blame for the mayhem have felt the consequences from being outed as a result in what has been called as online “vigilantism.”
Among those named was Nathan Kotylak, a water polo star photographed apparently attempting to vandalize a police car. Kotylak received numerous threats after his home address and cell phone number, his father’s name and office number were posted on various sites. He was banned from playing for the national team for two years.
Elizabeth Denham, B.C.’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, said social media is neutral, it’s what people do with it — whether good or bad — that matters.
Denham said privacy laws pretty much exclude what individuals post about other people online, but they could face consequences covered under the libel and defamation laws.
“We live in an era of instant celebrity,” she added. “But I do think that education (aimed at youth) is really needed. The concept of digital citizenship and ethical online practices, that’s going to push us into behaving more ethically online.”
Stuart Poyntz, associate professor from SFU’s School of Communication, said social media has changed the game when it comes to people’s public presence and representation.
“We don’t control the interpretation of who we are, social media situates the interpretation of who we are,” he said.
All three agree that people are yet to wrap their heads around how to manage, make sense, and organize social media in their lives, but will eventually realize that naming and shaming is not the best way to go.
“The kind of absurdity, hypocrisy and contradictions of social media will start to become more evident to people … (and) users will begin to think more about what the implications are of this data shadow that is available for all others to see,” Poyntz said. “There will be a more concerted, socially shared effort to kind of manage and make better sense of how social media is affecting our lives and shaping our public presentation.”
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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