TY  - JOUR
T1  - USER DATA AND DIGITAL PRIVACY: PRIVACY POLICIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
TT  - KULLANICI VERİLERİ VE DİJİTAL MAHREMİYET: SOSYAL MEDYA PLATFORMLARININ GİZLİLİK POLİTİKALARI
AU  - Böyük, Mustafa
PY  - 2025
DA  - January
Y2  - 2024
DO  - 10.7456/tojdac.1569287
JF  - Turkish Online Journal of Design Art and Communication
JO  - TOJDAC
PB  - Deniz YENGİN
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 2146-5193
SP  - 225
EP  - 239
VL  - 15
IS  - 1
LA  - en
AB  - This study examines how user data are collected, processed, and protected by analyzing the privacy policies and personal privacy violations of five of the world’s most widely used social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X [Twitter], YouTube and TikTok). This research adopts a qualitative approach and analyses current user data and past privacy violations through document analysis and case studies. It also evaluates platforms’ compliance with regulations such as GDPR and KVKK. The study revealed that platforms provide transparency in data management; however, users have difficulty understanding complex privacy policies and therefore cannot provide informed consent. Incidents such as Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal and TikTok’s data breach highlight the need for stronger data security measures and user-friendly control mechanisms. This study states that both users and platforms should take responsibility for protecting user privacy. Platforms should develop clearer privacy policies and strengthen data security, while users should increase their media literacy and manage their data effectively. In addition, regulators should ensure the enforcement of privacy laws and introduce stricter penalties for violations. The study concludes that more research is required on data privacy, cultural factors influencing user behavior, and the impact of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, on privacy practices.
KW  - Personal Data
KW  - Privacy
KW  - Digital Media
KW  - Social Media
KW  - Digital Privacy
N2  - Bu çalışma, dünyada en çok kullanılan beş sosyal medya platformunun (Facebook, Instagram, X [Twitter], YouTube ve TikTok) gizlilik politikalarını ve kişisel gizlilik ihlallerini analiz ederek kullanıcı verilerinin nasıl toplandığını, işlendiğini ve korunduğunu incelemektedir. Araştırma, nitel bir yaklaşım benimseyerek döküman analizi ve vaka incelemesi yoluyla hem günümüzdeki kullanıcı verilerini incelemekte hem de geçmişteki gizlilik ihlallerini araştırmakta ve platformların GDPR ve KVKK gibi düzenlemelere uyumunu değerlendirmektedir. Çalışma, platformların veri yönetiminde şeffaflık sağlamayı amaçladığını ancak kullanıcıların karmaşık gizlilik politikalarını anlamakta zorlandığını ve bu nedenle bilinçli onam veremediklerini ortaya koymaktadır. Facebook’un Cambridge Analytica skandalı ve TikTok’un çocuk verileri ihlali gibi olaylar, daha güçlü veri güvenlik önlemlerine ve kullanıcı dostu kontrol mekanizmalarına duyulan ihtiyacı vurgulamaktadır. Çalışmada, kullanıcı gizliliğinin korunmasında hem kullanıcıların hem de platformların sorumluluk alması gerektiği belirtilmektedir. Platformlar daha net gizlilik politikaları geliştirmeli ve veri güvenliğini güçlendirmeli, kullanıcılar ise medya okuryazarlığını artırarak verilerini etkin bir şekilde yönetmelidir. Ayrıca düzenleyiciler gizlilik yasalarının uygulanmasını sağlamalı ve ihlaller için daha sıkı cezalar getirmelidir. Çalışma veri gizliliği, kullanıcı davranışlarını etkileyen kültürel faktörler ve yapay zekâ gibi yeni teknolojilerin gizlilik uygulamaları üzerindeki etkileri üzerine daha fazla araştırma yapılması gerektiği sonucuna varmaktadır.
CR  - Acquisti, A., Brandimarte, L., & Loewenstein, G. (2015). Privacy and human behavior in the age of information. Science, 347(6221), 509-514.
CR  - Acquisti, A., Taylor, C., & Wagman, L. (2016). The Economics of Privacy. Journal of Economic Literature, 54(2), 442-492.
CR  - American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). APA.
CR  - Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40.
CR  - Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
CR  - Cadwalladr, C., & Graham-Harrison, E. (2018, March 17). Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election
CR  - Dhagarra, D., Goswami, M., & Kumar, G. (2020). Impact of trust and privacy concerns on technology acceptance in healthcare: an Indian perspective. International Journal of Medical Informatics(141).
CR  - European Union. (2016). General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Official Journal of the European Union.
CR  - Facebook. (2024). Facebook Privacy Policy. Retrieved from Facebook: www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation
CR  - Federal Trade Commission. (2019a). Video Social Networking App Musical.ly Agrees to Settle FTC Allegations That it Violated Children’s Privacy Law . Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/02/video-social-networking-app-musically-agrees-settle-ftc-allegations-it-violated-childrens-privacy
CR  - Federal Trade Commission. (2019b). Google and YouTube Will Pay Record $170 Million for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy Law. Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/09/google-youtube-will-pay-record-170-million-alleged-violations-childrens-privacy-law
CR  - Floridi, L. (2018a). The Ethics of Information. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
CR  - Floridi, L. (2018b). The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
CR  - Fuchs, C. (2021). Social Media: A Critical Introduction. London: SAGE Publications.
CR  - Instagram. (2024). Instagram Data Policy. Retrieved from Instagram: www.help.instagram.com/519522125107875
CR  - Isaak, J., & Hanna, M. J. (2018). User Data Privacy: Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Privacy Protection. Computer, 51(8), 56-59. Computer, 51(8), 56-59.
CR  - Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. London: SAGE Publications.
CR  - Kumar, N., & Singh , A. K. (2022). Impact of environmental factors on human semen quality and male fertility: a narrative review. Environ Sci Eur, 34(6).
CR  - Kumar, V., Dixit, A., Javalgi, R. G., & Dass , M. (2016). Research framework, strategies, and applications of intelligent agent technologies (IATs) in marketing. (44), 24-45.
CR  - Marwick, A. E., & Boyd, D. (2014). Networked Privacy: How Teenagers Negotiate Context in Social Media. New Media & Society, 16(7), 1051–1067.
CR  - Mayer-Schönberger , V., & Cukier, K. (2013). Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
CR  - Nishnianidze , A. (2023). Surveillance in the Digital Age. European Scientific Journal, 24-80.
CR  - Payton, T., & Claypoole, T. (2023). Privacy in the age of Big data: Recognizing threats, defending your rights, and protecting your family. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
CR  - Regan, P. M. (2015). Legislating Privacy: Technology, Social Values, and Public Policy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
CR  - Rescorla, E. (2018). The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3. Retrieved from Internet Engineering Task Force: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8446
CR  - Resmi Gazete. (2016). Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu. Retrieved from Resmi Gazete: www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2016/04/20160407-8.pdf
CR  - Schneier, B. (2016). Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World. New York.
CR  - Solove, D. (2009). Understanding Privacy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
CR  - Statista. (2023). Statista Research Department. Retrieved from h. Retrieved from Number of social network users worldwide from 2010 to 2023.: https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
CR  - The Economist. (2024). Ekonominin Trendleri. Ekonominin Trendleri 2024. The Economist Newspaper, New York.
CR  - TikTok. (2024). Privacy Policy. Retrieved from TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/privacy-policy-row?lang=tr-TR
CR  - Tufekci, Z. (2015). Algorithmic harms beyond Facebook and Google: Emergent challenges of computational agency. Colorado Technology Law Journal(13), 203-218.
CR  - Tufekci, Z. (2017). Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. New Haven: Yale University Press.
CR  - Twitter. (2018). Twitter Security Bulletin: Password Storage Vulnerability. . Retrieved from Twitter: www.twitter.com/en/security-bulletin
CR  - Twitter. (2023). Twitter Privacy Policy. Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/en/privacy
CR  - We Are Social. (2024). Digital 2024. Retrieved from We Are Social: https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2024/01/digital-2024/
CR  - Westin, A. F. (1968). Privacy and Freedom. New York: Atheneum.
CR  - Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
CR  - YouTube. (2024). YouTube Privacy Policy. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/intl/ALL_tr/howyoutubeworks/user-settings/privacy/
CR  - Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. New York: Public Affairs.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.7456/tojdac.1569287
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4296380
ER  -