Research clinic: Online Social Networking
 Can researchers collect personal data from social networking sites?
 The collection of personal data from social networks such as Facebook or MySpace must be done in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the MRS Code of Conduct, i.e. the processing of personal data may only occur with the informed consent of the individuals concerned.
Some researchers have expressed the view that traditional concepts of privacy and confidentiality do not apply to social networks as individuals are publishing information about themselves that can be freely used for other purposes. It has become clear however in recent developments in English privacy law that this is not the case.
Where individuals share information on these sites researchers must remember that it is being done within the confines of a social network. The information is being shared with friends and members of common networks. These networks may be very large, numbering many thousands of members, but this is not the same as publishing information to the world at large. Newspapers for example may publish information gathered through social networks only where there is a strong public interest in doing so. Otherwise, members of social networks have a general expectation of privacy.
What measures should researchers put in place when collecting personal data from social networking sites?
Persons from whom personal data are collected must also be informed as to what information is being collected, who will have access to it and the purposes for which it will be used. Where researchers who wish to gather personal data from a social network or another online forum must make their presence known in their capacity as a researcher. This means that when researchers befriend potential respondents to gain access to their online profile the researcher must introduce themselves as a researcher and outline the subject and purpose of the data collection they propose to undertake. The respondent must clearly consent to this before any data collection begins.
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