Preserving privacy in online social networks

Abstract

In recent years, online social networks (OSN) have grown in number and popularity. A large part of this growth is due to the ease of sharing information with other users who have common interests. Protecting the privacy of users against unwanted disclosure of their information in such settings poses challenging privacy problems. In this paper, we highlight OSN privacy requirements emphasizing current risks to users' privacy in these environments. We summarize some of the privacy laws that regulate how users information may be collected and stored in OSNs. Finally, some of the existing proposed solutions are reviewed and compared in order to provide insight into future research directions. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.