Unauthorized access in online social networks

Unauthorized access in online social networks, i.e., events when user data in social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn are accessed and updated without user’s permission, can take different forms. One research highlighted that the most common incidents included inappropriate comments posted on social networking sites (43%), messages sent to contacts that were never authored (25%) and change of personal details (24%). The most perpetrations are carried out by the victim’s friends (36%) or partners (21%) and one in ten victims say their ex-partner has logged into their account without prior consent.

The UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS estimate is that more than four million have had their identity stolen.

To describe this practice, the term smugging (‘social media mugging’) was suggested by Capital One, following research conducted as part of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week. The survey found that 60 million online social networks have been subject to unauthorised access in the last year, equivalent to 1.9 profiles 'smugged' every second.

See also

• Internet privacy