The rise of social networks and search platforms has enabled B2C companies to evolve into large-scale consumer identity providers. Companies fill the identity-management gap by assigning users several different IDs that work across media websites.
Media sites have access to a bevy of user information such as names, email addresses, and published posts, for example. There’s a significant burden placed on identity providers to monitor the media companies that are connecting with their users. Media companies also must be able to honor the trust of end-users.
The question is, though, how can we prevent media companies from abusing the extent of access that they have to our user identities? Identity ownership is something that offers great opportunity to the user, and yet also brings with it great risk.
Participating in social media is a necessary component of making your B2C company relevant and identifiable online, but you must pay heed to the security of your social networking accounts. There is high level of access to our identities and personal information through third-party applications via social networks.
Identification is a hazy area when it comes to the Internet. It, in no way, reflects the reality of the physical world. Still, the issue of third-party applications is a tricky one for social networking sites, which strongly encourage sharing by its users. If developers aren’t creating secure code or are intentionally building malicious applications, users could be at risk.
Carefully read the fine print and be aware when allowing access to third-party apps through your company’s accounts. It is most definitely worth your time, and can save you from a world of trouble.
Jimmie Carmeci is a marketing assistant at The Darwin Agency, and can be reached at jim@thedarwinagency.com.
