Social media and publishing platform users have generated vast amounts of data. This data remains online long after people have stopped using the platforms, and can impact people’s lives.
MySpace users were recently shocked to learn that the company lost 50 million user files. It’s a harsh lesson in not leaving your intellectual property unprotected on the information superhighway.
The Communications Decency Act was passed in 1996, seven years before the debut of MySpace. It helped online publishing grow – and to escape consequences for the way users might be harmed.
Even though Facebook claims to be a global community, its rise has come at the expense of online subcultures for marginalized people, from body modification enthusiasts to drag queens.