Since I first added my thoughts to PR Week’s debate about the ideas around online privacy mooted by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg, it’s been something that been on my mind. Mainly, how can we as communications experts balance support for, and exploration of, new social communications tools, and a belief in data security and personal privacy?

This article in the Guardian is the latest in a long line of online comment on this subject. Personally, I’ve found myself agreeing with many of the things said by Jennifer Leggio, Christopher Breen and others.

A big part of human nature is the ability to share and to contribute to common causes. We have also, with the establishment of capitalist democracies, supported the rights of businesses to exploit information in the pursuit of sales and profits. It’s nothing new that companies sell the benefits of their technologies at the same time as downplaying the perceived risks; with the speed at which the online landscape is changing, few people have the time or the inclination to stop and really think about all the implications that putting so much data online for anyone to discover. What we really want to do is be the first in our peer group to sign up to new services, and show off the latest apps; no time to question just what they plan for the information given in return.

The fact that it’s newsworthy means that more people than before are thinking about the privacy consideration. Research shows that many people, especially teens, don’t understand the implications of putting a lot of very personal data online. Personally, I believe that the privacy of data will become a major issue over the next few years, as it cuts across not just existing laws of civil liberty and data protection, but also affects copyright, libel, IP and more. Government policies are not yet defined, leaving it to business leaders like Zuckerberg to take the initiative. Of course, a cynic would argue that he doesn’t speak for the people but for his shareholders.

Although not directly linked, the repercussions from the News of the World phone tapping scandal and Google’s revelation that it accidentally recorded personal data from WiFi networks will do more to shift the privacy needle than hundreds of millions of people sharing intimate information online. It will be interesting to see whether government and business can agree ways to protect privacy whilst preserving the kinds of meta data that services like Facebook, Gowalla and Twitter are defined by. Watch this space.

John Ozimek