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PCC response to Journalism.co.uk enquiries on social networking

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has responded to Journalism.co.uk’s enquiries about accessing information on social networks.

Last week Journalism.co.uk wrote to the PCC and the Office of the Information Commissioner to draw their attention to the ease with which a reporter working for us was able to use Google to search for sensitive information on social networks.

Ahead of publishing details tomorrow of its research into public attitudes to social networks the PCC responded to our enquiry:

Dear Oliver
Thanks for this extremely timely and interesting research.
I think it is clear that social networking represents a huge cultural change. Personal information is voluntarily being made public on a massive and unprecedented scale. While there may be, as you rightly say, nothing illegal about journalists using such information, an important question is whether the public generally has any idea of the implications of surrendering their privacy in this way. I think our research may show that awareness of how individuals can lose control of information about themselves is very low. It is legitimate to ask in these circumstances whether the websites themselves are doing enough to protect their users and highlight to them the risks involved in volunteering so much information about themselves in public.
A further question is whether it heralds a sharp and profound change in the way in which members of the public regard their own private lives. Additionally, of course, the PCC will need to discuss – preferably using real cases – when it is and is not acceptable for journalists to use information put on social networking sites without specific consent.

This is the sort of area – reflecting changing public expectations and emerging technologies – that is well suited to ethical codes of practice rather than the force of the law.

It is to lead a public debate on all these issues that the PCC has commissioned research from Ipsos MORI and is sponsoring next week’s event.

Best wishes

Tim Toulmin
Director of PCC

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