Is there a private social network?

Social networking sites are forums for keeping in contact with old acquaintances and meeting new ones through the service. Users create their own webpages and post details about themselves. The users can form networks with their friends and their friends’ networks. They can also link to others who have the same details like schools, work , hometowns and other shared information. Basically, a user joins in the network to open himself up to others. He posts his personal information in the pages to advertise himself. In reality this should lower his expectations of privacy.

The issue of privacy arises because of the access granted to everyone. And not only can marketers scout for information but the sites themselves provide collated information for these marketers. The users now believe that the access should be limited. Rather than lose their users some of these sites have created privacy settings to try and fulfil the demands of the users. These users want the same level of privacy that one is entitled to in real life to be the same as in the virtual world.

The nature of publishing your information in online social networking sites is really to let others have free access to you. Does one expect to publish something and not let it be used for or against you? Remember this is a voluntary disclosure of personal information. Facebook in its terms and conditions of use claim that they own all the contents of their site. Even if we contend that one can still control the use of their dislosed information, didn't they agree to give it to Facebook? But, I guess their opt-in option was a recognition that the users still owned their information.