Beware Of Big Brother!

Millions of young people could damage their future careers with the details about themselves they post on social networking websites, a watchdog has warned. Some 71 per cent of 2,000 14 to 21-year-olds said they would not want colleges or employers to do a web search on them before they had removed some material.

The commission said the young needed to be aware of their electronic footprint and the possible consequences it could have on their future career prospects. The ICO also said young people could be putting themselves at risk of identity fraud because of the material they post on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. The data regulator's survey found that two thirds of those questioned accepted as friends on such websites people they did not even know.

ICO deputy commissioner David Smith said: "Many young people are posting content online without thinking about the electronic footprint they leave behind. The cost to a person's future can be very high if something undesirable is found by the increasing number of education institutions and employers using the internet as a tool to vet potential students or employees."