Anonymous social networking

Secrets and lies

Mar 22nd 2014, 14:45 by P.H. | WASHINGTON, DC

SOCIAL media may have brought millions of people together, but it has torn many others
apart. Once, bullies taunted their victims in the playground; today they use smartphones to do
so from afar. Media reports of Facebook suicides caused by cyberbullying are all too
common. Character assassination on Twitter is rife, as are malicious e-mails, texts and other
forms of e-torment. A recent review of the academic literature on cyberbullying suggests
conservativelythat at least a quarter of school-age children are involved as either victim or
perpetrator.
A new generation of smartphone apps is unlikely to help. With names like Whisper, Secret,
Wut, Yik Yak, Confide and Sneeky, they enable users to send anonymous messages, images
or both to friends who also use the apps. Some of the messages self-destruct after delivery;
some live on. But at their heart is anonymity. If you are bullied via Facebook, Twitter or text,
you can usually identify your attacker. As a victim of an anonymous messaging app you
cannot: at best you can only guess which friend whispered to the online world that you might
be pregnant. As the authors of the paper cited above point out, anonymity frees people from
traditionally constraining pressures of society, conscience, morality and ethics to behave in a
normative manner.
Unsurprisingly, none of this is deterring venture-capitalists. Whisper, which was launched last
November, has raised more than $20m from blue-chip funds such as Sequoia Capital. Secret,
at less than two months old, recently scored almost $9m from a group that includes Google
Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and actor Ashton Kutchers A-Grade Investments.
Not every venture capitalist is as sanguine about investing in what have been dubbed bullying
apps. In a 12-tweet diatribe, Marc Andreessen, who co-founded Netscape and is now a
general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a hot Silicon Valley VC firm, took issue with both the
apps and those investing in them. As designers, investors, commentators, we need to
seriously ask ourselves whether some of these systems are legitimate and worthy, he wrote;
not from an investment return point of view, but from an ethical and moral point of view.
Mark Suster, another well-known investor, took a similar stance on his blog: Its gossip.
Slander. Hateful. Hurtful. Its everything [Silicon] Valley claims to hate about LA but seemingly
are falling over themselves at cocktail parties to check 5 times a night. We can do better.
This is not, of course, how the startups creators see thingsand in fairness many of the
secrets they share are harmlessly banal. David Byttow, co-founder of Secret, has claimed his
app assists people in voicing their opinion in a very constructive way. Michael Heyward,
Whispers boss, took to Twitter to defend his app against Mr Andreessen, tweeting
a screenshot (pictured above) of a whisper that read This girl talked to me on whisper
because of a self harm post, she doesnt know she saved my life. (This was shortly after he
hired Neetzan Zimmerman, formerly of celebrity-smearing site Gawker, as its editor-in-chief,
and Whisper began whispering about the alleged infidelity of a well-known actress.)

The app companies claim they have or are working on ways to deter slanderous or abusive
posts. Secret says it removes such posts, although that rarely seems to happen quickly or
consistently. And after hosting posts that have included multiple shooting and bomb threats
some of which led to school evacuationsYik Yak is now using geofencing technology to
prevent its app being used at a majority of Americas middle and high schools. That will do
little, however, to affect its use outside school hours or at universities, which Yik Yak is still
targeting.
The startups bigger challenge may be figuring out a business model. Advertising will be a hard
sell: most of the services collect little or no data about their users besides location, and their
unpredictable demographic ranges from tweens to thirtysomethings. Few advertisers will want
to be associated with apps that count bomb threats and cyberbullying among their core
services. And teensthe services most intensive usersare notoriously fickle in their app
appetites. Once they realize that few people care about their secretsat least compared with
those of famous actressesthey will move on.
The market for such services is also littered with failures. Formspring, an anonymous Q&A site
beset with cyberbullying and allegations of related suicides, raised $14m before shutting down
a year ago. It has since been reincarnated, at least in spirit, as spring.me. Latvia-based Ask.fm,
a Formspring rival that had won a few big advertisers, lost many of them after it too was linked
to cyberbullying and multiple suicides. (Among those to quit was British tabloid The Sun,
which shows just how bad things were.) Juicy Campus lasted 18 months before shutting down
in 2009 amid similar controversiesand after venture-capital firms realized it would never turn
a profit.
And then there is the original secrets website, PostSecret, which launched in 2005. In
September 2011 it decided to join the smartphone age with an app for Apples iPhone. After
trying and failing to weed out offensive secrets from the millions posted, PostSecret scrapped
the app four months later, never to return. A pile of venture-capital cash may be about to suffer
the same fate.


Investors Debate The Ethics Of
Anonymity Apps
Posted Mar 15, 2014 by Alexia Tsotsis (@alexia)

VCs are publicly and privately debating the morality of investing in the
burgeoninganonymish app space, after a series of negative posts, mainstream
gossip, a high profile resignation and even bomb and violence threats have pushed
the volume of the debate to eleven.
Last night, Netscape founder Marc Andreessen had one of his characteristic
Twitter surges. He began his speech by referencing product developments that
unequivocally exist for the good of humanity, comparing them to products that are
designed to encourage negative behavior, tearing people down, making fellow
souls sad.
He asks in his soliloquy (included below) whether these products should be
invested in, from an ethical and moral standpoint, due to the possibility of negative
consequences. Investor Mark Suster, who has been singled out as a target on
Secret just like A16z has, supported Andreessens view.
Investors make choices every day, Andreessen wrote, in a continuation of the
thread. Many things dont get funded that would make $ but arent ethical, moral,
and/or legal. He confirmed that public opinion sensitive LPs are one reason
behind this, and notes that headline risk, branding risk and explaining to family
risk are some others.
While he emphatically did not mention specific apps, the most popular apps in the
space currently are Yik Yak, Secret and Whisper. The Secret and Whisper CEOs
have replied to Andreessen, citing that the positive aspects of their respective
products outweigh the negative.
To Whisper CEO Michael Heyward, who brought up an example of a potential
suicide prevention on Whisper, Andreessen responded, How do you decide who
to protect and who to out? with a link to our story about Whisper gossip and
Gwyneth Paltrow.
As far as I can see, no prominent Secret or Whisper investors have joined the
discussion, but Homebrews Hunter Walk has provided his take, holding that moral
issues should affect investment choices but not focus solely on a products
negative side.
Walk says that he asks, Is the world a better place because this product exists?
Not can this product be abused and utilized for negative purposes but rather what
is its primary use case, primary reason for being and can the team sustain that true
north over time?' before choosing whether to invest.
If I were a Secret investor, I would say that people are people, and will exhibit bad
behavior almost anywhere you put them. Former about.me community
managerLaura Gluhanich brings up the fact that Twitter, Andreessens debate
platform of choice, did nothing when a user posted her home address and issued
death threats. In fact, some parody accounts on both Facebook and Twitter allow
for a form of antagonization similar to that on anonymous apps.
I would also echo what Secret co-founder David Byttow asserted, that the potential
for these apps to improve upon the human experience is immense, but we have,
lots of hard work to do and difficult issues to work through.
I have never read worse things about myself and our writers than on Secret. Not
even in our comments section. Sure, this is the business weve chosen, but what
happens when you point this water cannon at a person who has never owned an
umbrella? This is [the] heart of a big part of my concern, says Andreessen, Its
the most vulnerable people who will be most damaged when this goes wrong.
Despite sharing this concern, I am a happy user of Secret and other apps in the
space, and want to see them adjust themselves to provide maximum objective
good with the least amount of bad. Bringing this aspect of human behavior into the
light is a first step, as is adding features like post flagging and moderation.
This is an important topic beyond tech, a question of how humans should treat one
another: Can we enforce niceness? Do we want to? Do we have a moral obligation
to do so? And if we do, how can we execute on that, without a heavy hand of
censorship? Who decides what defamation is, or fair commentary? When does
gossip become slander? And are we equipped as an industry to handle these
questions? We in tech are great at building, but at moderating? There we dont
have much of a track record.
As this is a very timely and ongoing discussion, Im looking forward to continuing
the debate in our comments section, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Secret, on
Whisper, on Yik Yak, on Wut,and in person.
Marc Andreessens Latest
Tweetathon? Naughty Fun Leads to
Ruined Lives in Anonymous Apps.
March 15, 2014, 3:05 PM PDT
By Nellie Bowles
In a 12-part Twitter treatise late last night, high-profile venture capitalist Marc
Andreessenattacked tech that enables voyeurism, which might start as naughty fun but
ends with broken hearts and ruined lives.
Though Andreessen, the co-founder of influential VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, didnt
name any companies (and asked people not to guess), he also said its an important topic to
discuss.
But he is obviously targeting anonymous sharing apps such as Whisper and Secret, which is
only 46 days old but yesterday said it had received $8.6 million in funding. And Whisper
has raised $30 million at a $200 million valuation recently.
In his latest tweeting marathon hes done a lot of this kind of thing since the beginning
of the year Andreessen implied that these social apps are tapping into deep-seated
human nature, but that theyre morally reprehensible and shouldnt be built. The engineers,
he noted, are responsible for stepping up to the moral plate.
China anonymous-confession app Mimi
stirs concerns about ethics, bullying
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 09 April, 2014, 7:11pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 10 April, 2014, 8:10am

Photo: CorbisA free phone app that lets users anonymously confess secrets, from
extramarital affairs to invasions of a loved ones privacy, earned as much criticism as it has
fans in China since its launch two weeks ago.
Developed by Shenzhen-based Wumii Technology Limited, Mimi (which means secret in
Chinese) encourages users to share their innermost thoughts without fear of being exposed,
according to its description.
Users can log on using a cellphone number, then will be led to a screen where they can either
post messages, read other peoples posts and comment or like them. But the app only shows
messages from other Mimi users in the persons phone book.
I slept with my investor. I am a guy, and so is he, one post reads.
I check my boyfriends e-mails and WeChat messages daily, another says.
Many have pointed out that the app bears strong similarities to US-made application Secret.
Nevertheless, the app has enjoyed some success since its debut on app stores, where it was
downloaded more than 1,000 times on Android alone.
But Mimi did not sit well with netizens who think it encourages negativity and irresponsible
behaviour. Others believe it can be a platform for online bullying.
Wang Guanxiong, a venture capital investor and influential opinion leader with more than one
million followers on Weibo, said he was pessimistic about the apps future.
By allowing users to comment anonymously, it encourages people to throw irresponsible
accusations at each other and engage in a war of words, Wang said.
According to Chinese law, neither the police nor the app developer will be able to protect
users from being verbally abused, he said. Things might get even uglier considering the
general hostile tendency of Chinas online quarrels.
Wumii Technology did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

III. ETHICAL ISSUES
The foundations of all secure systems are the moral principles and practices and
the professional standards of all employees of the organization, i.e., while people
are part of the solution, they are also most of the problem. The following issues
are examples of security problems which an organization may have to deal with:
A. Ethics and Responsible Decision-Making
The foundation of all security systems is formed by moral principles and
practices of those people involved and the standards of the profession. That is,
while people are part of the solution, they are also most the problem. Security
problems with which an organization may have to deal include: responsible
decision-making, confidentiality, privacy, piracy, fraud & misuse, liability,
copyright, trade secrets, and sabotage. It is easy to sensationalize these topics
with real horror stories; it is more difficult to deal with the underlying ethical
issues involved.
The student should be made aware of his individual responsibility in making
ethical decisions associated with information security.
B. Confidentiality & Privacy
Computers can be used symbolically to intimidate, deceive or defraud victims.
Attorneys, government agencies and businesses increasingly use mounds of
computer generated data quite legally to confound their audiences. Criminals also
find useful phony invoices, bills and checks generated by the computer. The
computer lends an ideal cloak for carrying out criminal acts by imparting a clean
quality to the crime.
The computer has made the invasion of our privacy a great deal easier and
potentially more dangerous than before the advent of the computer. A wide range
of data are collected and stored in computerized files related to individuals.
These files hold banking information, credit information, organizational fund
raising, opinion polls, shop at home services, driver license data, arrest records
and medical records. The potential threats to privacy include the improper
commercial use of computerized data, breaches of confidentiality by releasing
confidential data to third parties, and the release of records to governmental
agencies for investigative purposes.
The basic law that protects our privacy is the Fourth Amendment to the United
States Constitution, which mandates that people have a right to be secure in
homes and against unreasonable search and seizure. In addition, many laws have
been enacted to protect the individual from having damaging information stored
in computerized databases.
C. Piracy
Microcomputer software presents a particular problem since many individuals
are involved in the use of this software. Section 117 of the copyright laws,
specifically the 1980 amendment, deals with a law that addresses the problem of
backup copies of software. This section states that users have the right to create
backup copies of their software. That is, users may legally create a backup copy
of software if it is to be held in archive. Many software companies provide a free
backup copy to users that precludes the need for to users purchase software
intended to defeat copy protection systems and subsequently create copies of
their software. If the software purchased is actually leased, you may in fact not
even be able to make backup copies of the software. The distinction between
leasing and buying is contained within the software documentation. The
copyright statement is also contained in the software documentation. The
copyright laws regarding leased material state that the leasor may say what the
leaseholder can and cannot do with the software. So it is entirely up to the owner
of the software as to whether or not users may make backup copies of the
software. At a time when federal laws relating to copyright protection are
evolving, several states are considering legislation that would bar unauthorized
duplication of software.
The software industry is prepared to do battle against software piracy. The
courts are dealing with an increasing number of lawsuits concerning the
protection of software. Large software publishers have established the Software
Protection Fund to raise between $500,000 and $1 million to promote anti-piracy
sentiment and to develop additional protection devices.
D. Fraud & Misuse
The computer can create a unique environment in which unauthorized activities
can occur. Crimes in this category have many traditional names including theft,
fraud, embezzlement, extortion, etc. Computer related fraud includes the
introduction of fraudulent records into a computer system, theft of money by
electronic means, theft of financial instruments, theft of services, and theft of
valuable data.
E. Liability
Under the UCC, an express warranty is an affirmation or promise of product
quality to the buyer and becomes a part of the basis of the bargain. Promises and
affirmations made by the software developer to the user about the nature and
quality of the program can also be classified as an express warranty.
Programmers or retailers possess the right to define express warranties. Thus,
they have to be realistic when they state any claims and predictions about the ca-
pabilities, quality and nature of their software or hardware. They should consider
the legal aspects of their affirmative promises, their product demonstrations, and
their product description. Every word they say may be as legally effective as
though stated in writing. Thus, to protect against liability, all agreements should
be in writing. A disclaimer of express warranties can free a supplier from being
held responsible for any informal, hypothetical statements or predictions made
during the negotiation stages.
Implied warranties are also defined in the United States by the UCC. These are
warranties that are provided automatically in every sale. These warranties need
not be in writing nor do they need to be verbally stated. They insure that good
title will pass to the buyer, that the product is fit for the purpose sold, and that it
is fit for the ordinary purposes for which similar goods are used
(merchantability)..
F. Patent and Copyright Law
A patent can protect the unique and secret aspect of an idea. It is very difficult
to obtain a patent compared to a copyright (please see discussion below). With
computer software, complete disclosure is required; the patent holder must
disclose the complete details of a program to allow a skilled programmer to build
the program. Moreover, a United States software patent will be unenforceable in
most other countries.
Copyright law provides a very significant legal tool for use in protecting
computer software, both before a security breach and certainly after a security
breach. This type of breach could deal with misappropriation of data, computer
programs, documentation, or similar material. For this reason the information
security specialist will want to be familiar with basic concepts of to copyright
law.
The United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries have now
amended or revised their copyright legislation to provide explicit laws to protect
computer program. Copyright law in the United States is governed by the
Copyright Act of 1976 that preempted the field from the states. Formerly, the
United States had a dual state and federal system. In other countries, such as
Canada, the courts have held that the un-revised Copyright Act is broad enough
to protect computer programs. In many of these countries the reform of copyright
law is actively underway.
G. Trade Secrets
A trade secret protects something of value and usefulness. This law protects the
unique and secret aspects of ideas, known only to the discoverer or his
confidants. Once disclosed the trade secret is lost as such and can only be pro-
tected under one of the following laws. The application of trade secret law is very
important in the computer field, where even a slight head start in the
development of software or hardware can provide a significant competitive ad-
vantage.
H. Sabotage
The computer can be the object of attack in computer crimes such as the
unauthorized use of computer facilities, alternation or destruction of information,
data file sabotage and vandalism against a computer system. Computers have
been shot, stabbed, short-circuited and bombed.
It is easy to sensationalize these topics with real horror stories; it is more
difficult to deal with the underlying ethical issues involved.