Mission 5 Extra
Posted by Adrian on September 14, 2009 at 10:36 a.m.
Hijacked!
What if you logged into Facebook right now and found your profile changed, your wall posts deleted, and settings messed up? What if someone had sent loads of messages to your mates that you didn't write?
You'd probably be freaked out and angry, and for good reason: our online profiles are part of our identity. It's like someone coming into your room when you're out and changing everything round.
If your account's been hacked - either by a friend playing a joke because you left yourself logged in on their laptop, or by a stranger who's stolen your details - it can be seriously unsettling, but there are things you can do. You can reset your password, or contact the site administrators and tell them your account has been hacked. Often, the admins can help you by deleting the fraudulent postings and giving you back control of your profile.
But what if it's the site admin who's making the changes?
What's Yours Is Mine
Max is the main admin of White Smoke, and he made changes to his users' profiles because he thought he had no other choice. He wanted to stop the police from discovering who was buying and selling fake IDs - and he was worried that they might shut his site down afterwards.
Even though he thinks doing the right thing, it's eye-opening to realise how much control he has over people's 'private' info. This is the case on other journalling and social networking sites too. Though most websites and forums have strict rules for how they'll use the information you post to them, in some situations the rules end up being changed - or ignored.
As an admin, Max can change users personal details, edit their posts, send messages using their accounts, and even delete their profiles. If Max had wanted to, he could have framed another White Smoke user, or handed over all of Keira's confidential information to the police so that they would leave the rest of White Smoke alone (and maybe he would've, if Keira wasn't Cal's sister!)
Max's activities were highly illegal - it might be admirable that he protected his friends, but Max knowingly destroyed evidence that relates to a real crime. If he was caught (since all of our online activities leave digital traces, it could happen) he could be charged with contempt of court and sentenced to a fine, or even time in prison.
While Max might have had the best intentions, how much do you know about the admins of the websites you use? How much information are you trusting them with? Will they always behave honestly and legally?
Smokescreen is a cutting-edge game about life online, on a new social network called White Smoke.
Explore websites, search for clues, receive phone calls, chat on IM, and tackle puzzles and minigames. On Smokescreen, who can you trust? Find out more...
