Social interaction in the online space is becoming more and more frequent. Most people are unaware however that every Facebook, MySpace, msn, iChat, email message leaves an information footprint and this trail can be picked up by third parties. In this new wild west of virtuosity, some companies have brazenly admitted to offering services or products to people within the social networking arena with little or no regard for privacy or the expectation of privacy.

This hopefully is where the government can and will intercede. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) outlines what information organizations can and cannot gather about consumers. Unfortunately, this legislation does not directly impact consumer privacy in the social networking arena. The impact of this is that the privacy rights of consumers might be at risk – consent and awareness of how information is being used varies depending on the channel being used.

Responsible marketers are already aware of these sensitivities and have put measures in place. The many “cowboys” in this new frontier however will take advantage of the information available and use it to their advantage. These marketers are preying on the most vulnerable users of technology – the youth, who are most likely to engage in social networking without considering the possible implications on their privacy.

Social networking and social media are hot button items at the moment and there are many layers to discover. CMA’s Marketing Technology and Database Intelligence Council is hosting a breakfast Roundtable that will explore how social media may be strategically applied to business and integrated with an organization’s marketing plan.