Instant Messages, Lingering Paper Trail

12 Oct 2006

Summary

As the recent case with Republican Mark Foley shows, text messages (instant messages on computer or cell phone) can be saved, stored, forwarded and exposed. It’s important to understand that even the most basic of the free instant messaging services has some capability to store and archive conversations. As Michael Hall, managing editor of the Web site Instant Messaging Planet, puts it, "Over the Net, you're never given any guarantees of real privacy."

Things to think about when reading the article below

• If you don’t want information revealed later, don’t send it. Once you post that blog, photo, video, or comment or send that e-mail or instant message, you have lost control over what others may do with it.
  
• Consider also how quickly information can spread online. An ill-thought-through comment in a letter or compromising photo would, in the past, have had fairly limited opportunity to be shared; now this information can race around the world in an instant, free of charge. Read the article.