Tue February 7, 2012
CNN.com
This article explains an ongoing problem facebook users are facing involving the pictures they share, and then delete, on their facebook profiles. Many users have come to find that the pictures they “delete” are never actually deleted. If an individual still has the direct link to a picture, that picture can usually still be seen, revealing that facebook had never actually deleted the picture itself. For many people this is a very serious problem. Some users decide to upload a picture on to their account and then decide that it might have not been a smart decision. They fear that it has potential to become an issue with their family, friends, or the company they work for which leads them to delete the picture. Once the picture is deleted many people assumed that it is gone for good and that they have nothing to worry about. However this assumption is very wrong, it was discovered that even pictures that had been deleted three years ago were still accessible on the internet. Facebook continues to ensure users that they are working on a better system that will have pictures completely deleted within forty-five days of when they were originally deleted.
I personally think that this is a very scary issue, especially because our generation will be the ones greatly affected by this problem. As facebook becomes more and more popular to teens and young adults around the world, it is also becoming more and more popular to companies that these teens and young adults will apply to. Throughout high school most kids are not thinking about how much facebook and the pictures that they share could affect their success with getting a job or even getting in to college. More and more colleges and companies are checking the facebooks of their applicants. Once a young adult does start the process of applying for a job or a college and realize the impact facebook could have on their success, it could be too late. This especially so with the fact that deleted pictures aren’t actually being deleted. If pictures are still accessible three years after being deleted young adults might think their safe when in reality these pictures could still prevent them from being hired or accepted to the college of their dreams. If facebook does not figure this problem out they could possibly see a decrease in users. Either way, people will definitely think twice before uploading pictures of themselves.
I completely agree with what you had to say on your opinion. These days, filling out an application and turning in a resume to a company or college is just simply not good enough. The potential company or institution you go to now takes it a step further by looking on social websites to see what kind of person you are outside of your resume. If there is an embarrassing photo on your facebook that you deleted because you felt like it would hurt your chances of getting in to the opportunity, this is a great idea. It is not acceptable that you have to then worry about the website itself not deleting the photo. It is even more bizarre that the photo can still be accessible for another 3 years. Facebook should take care of this problem as soon as possible to not ruin the chances of people obtaining their goal of a new job or college opportunity.
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