Privacy Is A Thing Of The Past

A slightly less controversial headline would be "Privacy, as we know it, will soon become a thing of the past." However, every day there's a news story (reference a few of my recent posts about Facebook) that makes me think that we're already there.

According to a the recent "Future of the Internet" study from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, millennials will continue their current habit of sharing large amounts of personal information online as they age.

From the report:

Some said new definitions of "private" and "public" information are taking shape in networked society. They argued that this means that Millennials might change the kinds of personal information they share as they age, but the aging process will not fundamentally change the incentives to share.

At the same time, some experts said an awkward trial-and-error period is unfolding and will continue over the next decade, as people adjust to new realities about how social networks perform and as new boundaries are set about the personal information that is appropriate to share.

One telling quote from the report came from well-known social networking analyst Stowe Boyd, who stated: "Publicy will replace privacy. Privacy will appear quaint, like wearing gloves and veils in church."

What does this environment of connectivity and transparency mean for your organization? Whatever else might be true, the point is, it's time to start thinking about how to maximize the positives and mitigate the negatives (on both an organizational and individual level) as these social norms change around us.