The use of social networks is the most common online activity. There is no end in sight to this dominance, as usage has quickly expanded into business areas as well. By far the leading social network is Facebook, which users use to keep in touch with friends, follow specific groups and people, and share insights into their daily lives.
Companies and certain individuals also use social networks such as Facebook and Instagram to promote their products or services. With the increasing use of online networks, the question of their security also arises. Every online activity is converted into data that is recorded and processed.
By analysing the general terms of use that every user agrees to when they sign up to a social network, we looked at how safe we are as users on social networks and what happens to our data. These terms contain a set of rules that determine who the user shares their data with, where it is stored, and what it is used for.
The experimental section of the thesis investigated what data social networks collect about users and in what way. This is shown by means of a short experiment in which an advertisement was created on Facebook. In the second part of the experimental section, a survey among users was used to determine the extent to which users are familiar with this data, whether they have read the general terms of use, and how much online data protection means to them. The survey determined whether and how the age group influences behaviour on social networks. The analysis of the results showed that users are quite aware of data collection in social networks and that age is not really an indicator of social network users' awareness.
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