Name: Melvin D.

Botero
Year & Section: BSCS IV-B
THE SOCIAL NETWORKS REACTION PAPER
The movie was all about the creator of the most well-known social
media site today, Facebook. It tells about how the website was created in a
Harvard dorm room way back in 2004 that has made a huge change on how
we connect and communicate in the 21 st century. All in all, the film is more
than just the story of one website. It also gives its viewers a look at success,
failure, and how money and fame change people.
This movie is one of the captivating film I ever seen which is very
relevant on my course Im taking up. It contains several scenes which involve
some ethical issues such as right to privacy, freedom of expression, and
intellectual property which is much related to my subject this semester
Computer Ethics. Thus, making it a must watch movie.
First is right to privacy. This ethical issue was noticeable in the scene
where Mark Zuckerberg made up Facemash, which somehow become the
predessor of Facebook. With Facemash, a Hot or Not for female students,
Mark hacks and brings down the university network and was able to get
some photos of the female students. In that Marks action, he absolutely
deprived the right of the female students to have privacy. Getting photos
from an individual without his/her permission can be consider as a violation
against right to privacy. Even before, there was already a law that protects
the privacy of a person. Invasion of the right to privacy can be the basis for a
lawsuit for damages against the person violating the right. That is why, this
work of Mark leads him to get in some trouble with the school administration
and made him an outcast on campus. Indeed, doing such thing can just lead
us into trouble.
Second is freedom of expression. In the movie, we cant deny the fact
that some viewer might say that the main protagonist, Mark Zuckerberg, is
rough on words, very arrogant and prank. Yet, I still love the way he defend
his self and the way he talk like his not afraid at all. In the scene when he
was called by the school administration and was interrogated regarding on
what he did on the university network, he was not afraid to express his
thoughts and ideas, and he has the sense sureness in every word that he
speak. I find it funny though he is right about it when he said that he deserve
recognition on breaking through Harvards Network. That scene shows the
right of Mark to say what he wants through any form of communication.
Nowadays, this particular freedom is one of the most abused right. Like for
example in social media like Facebook, users tend to express ideas through
posting it on their wall without thinking first that he/she might cause harm in
character or reputation of other people. It is a healthy habit to practice the
famous tagline of GMA News that says, think before you click. Moreover, we

should always think that apart from the freedom of expression that we enjoy
today, it is accompanied with responsibility because abusively or exceedingly
expressing ones idea becomes amenable to punishment.
Third is intellectual property. As the story progresses, the films focus
shift. Many of these shifts takes place in present day setting, where
Zuckerberg, Saverin and the Winklevoss brothers gives testimony in some of
the various lawsuits filed over the ownership and business dealing of
Facebook. And one of the lawsuits filed against Zuckerberg is the theft of
intellectual property. The Winklevoss brothers accused Zuckerberg of
apparently stealing their ideas in regards to creating the website Facebook.
Intellectual property refers to certain creations of the mind, including names,
symbols, designs, and inventions. In the scene where a lady on the law firm
and Mark was having a conversation, I was struck when Mark told her that
the reason apparently of the Winklevoss brothers of suing him was not
because for intellectual property theft but rather because the brothers, for
the first time in their lives things didnt work out the way they were
supposed to for them. Zuckerberg might sound silly, but he might be right as
well. However, stealing other ideas whether you do it on purpose or not is
still illegal.
After watching the movie, I learned many things. Like stealing other
idea is illegal and be sure of what you say. But I think what makes the movie
very special to me was that it shows to its viewers that there is a cost for a
great success and a cost for changing the world. Just like what happen to
Zuckerbergs relationship with his bestfriend. The tagline of the movie, You
dont get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies, only proves
that oftentimes, the cost of being so wealthy and famous are paid in
relationships.