Facebook Fraud: Facebook Misrepresents Its Privacy Policy to Its Users

Douglas Jackson, Stetson University

Abstract

As Facebook grows in popularity, the amount of privacy given to its users shrinks. Users are often unaware of this deterioration of their privacy. This unawareness has resulted in job loss and job opportunity loss because users post harmful information they thought was private. Facebook users post this information because Facebook does not accurately represent the dangers of posting potentially harmful information on Facebook. Tort law should provide a remedy to these users for Facebook's misrepresentation. Additionally, the law should adapt to the abrupt changes of the Internet. The Internet has created a cyberworld where brick-and-mortar laws simply do not work. It has redefined property, and tort law needs to reflect this change. When properly extended, the law should provide a remedy to Facebook users who have been damaged by Facebook's misrepresentation of its privacy policy. Instead of hiding its policy, Facebook should make its policy readily apparent. Facebook is in the best position to protect its users from posting harmful information, and if Facebook fails to provide a warning, the law of misrepresentation should compensate the user, and give Facebook better reason to mitigate its deceptive practices.