IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 81

functions mainly as a search engine and has been
accused of holding a monopoly over the industry in
Europe [19]. Their privacy policy reflects this as most of
the data collection specified deals with web browsing
habits, search history, and web interaction [16].
Google's privacy policy does not state that they collect
any of the content a user generates on their platforms,
which is a major departure from the norm of the other
platforms discussed in this work.

Data Sharing
The second major area that exhibits differences across
the platforms is how user data is shared. Google, Linke-
dIn, Facebook, and Twitter share data within their orga-
nizations for research purposes and site improvement.
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all share their collect-
ed user data with third parties for the purposes of
advertising. Google does not always share information
with third parties. However, this could be due to the
fact that Google now owns at least four advertising
companies [3], [56] and does not have a need to
include third parties. In addition to using data for adver-
tising purposes, Twitter and LinkedIn provide research-
ers with access to their API to help further academic
and professional research. Twitter offers this free of
charge while LinkedIn charges a fee. Facebook is the
one platform that has worded their privacy policy in
such a way that they have the right to do anything with
a user's data [11, para. 8-12].

Data Security
Data security is one of the more interesting aspects of
the platforms privacy policies because none of the plat-
forms extensively cover how a user's data is kept secure
once it is collected. Twitter has the least secure policy
of the four platforms because data security is not even
mentioned once in their privacy policy. This could be
because Twitter deviates from the other platforms by
assuming that any content generated on their site is
considered public anyway. They are completely up front
about this and state in the first paragraph of their policy
that "Any registered user of the Twitter Services can
send a Tweet, which is a message of 140 characters or
less that is public by default and can include other con-
tent like photos, videos, and links to other websites"
[51]. This distinction puts them in a different position
than LinkedIn, Google, or Facebook where there is an
implicit assumption that the information shared on the
platform remains private between the individuals it is
shared with [58].
LinkedIn and Facebook offer about the same level of
protection. When it comes to data security however,
Facebook is vague about the protection it offers. Face-
book states that it protects the user's data by using a
june 2016

∕

combination of encryption and machine learning [10],
but does not state anything else about its security proto-
cols. LinkedIn is slightly higher on the scale by specify-
ing that it uses SSL encryption to protect user
information on both mobile and non-mobile devices
with the added security of a HTTPS option on non-
mobile devices [33], as mentioned earlier.
Compared to the other three platforms, Google
appears to offer the highest amount of data protection
for users. Google states that many of their services use
SSL encryption, but does not specify how many services
use it and which ones. In order to protect against unau-
thorized access they engage in internal monitoring of
their own practices, including physical security mea-
sures [16]. They also state that information is to be kept
strictly confidential to all parties it is shared with and
that divulging such information is grounds for immedi-
ate termination. The language used by Google suggests
that it has better security measures than the other plat-
forms but does not offer any concrete evidence that
they do more than "appear" more secure.

Privacy policies are used as a
contract between the user
and the company that is offering
their services.

User Comprehension
Privacy policies are used as a contract between the user
and the company that is offering their services. These
companies offer their services to millions of people with
varying levels of education, skill, background, and age.
Privacy policies are meant to inform the user about
what privacy is given when using a particular service.
However, privacy policies cannot do their job if the aver-
age member of the population cannot understand them.
Currently in the United States up to 50% of adults can-
not understand literature written at an eighth grade
reading level [35]. This is problematic given that most
privacy policies would be written at a level higher than
eighth grade. In order to examine the potential compre-
hension expected of adults in the United States, each of
these privacy policies were analyzed using the Flesch-
Kincaid Grade Level Readability Formula. This analysis
was completed using an open source online readability
test tool that allows for the full text of the document to

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine

81



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - Cover1
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - Cover2
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 1
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 2
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 3
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 4
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 5
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 6
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 7
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 8
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 9
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 10
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 11
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 12
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 13
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 14
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 15
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 16
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 17
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 18
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 19
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 20
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 21
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 22
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 23
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 24
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 25
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 26
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 27
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 28
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 29
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 30
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 31
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 32
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 33
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 34
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 35
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 36
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 37
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 38
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 39
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 40
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 41
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 42
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 43
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 44
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 45
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 46
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 47
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 48
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 49
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 50
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 51
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 52
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 53
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 54
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 55
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 56
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 57
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 58
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 59
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 60
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 61
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 62
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 63
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 64
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 65
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 66
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 67
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 68
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 69
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 70
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 71
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 72
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 73
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 74
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 75
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 76
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 77
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 78
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 79
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 80
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 81
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 82
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 83
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 84
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 85
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 86
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 87
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - 88
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - Cover3
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_winter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_spring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_winter2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_fall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_spring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_winter2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_fall2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_summer2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_spring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_winter2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_fall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_summer2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_spring2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_winter2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_fall2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_summer2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/technologysociety_spring2013
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com