Debate on Internet “Privacy Issues” will reach alarming levels in coming months. As biggest of the “Web 2.0” companies lined up for IPOs, this talk is even more relevant. Privacy factor has deep implications on their overstretched valuations and future direction.

Legislations for “How to handle user privacy online?” are pending in many US States; like the one in California (Social Networking Privacy Act (SB 242)), if passed, will have long lasting impact on modus operandi of social media websites. EU counsel is also suggesting to block the “Illicit Websites” from European cyberspace. Tactically speaking,  in the future, these “Illicit Websites” will be rephrased in to “Illicit Behavior”, allowing freedom of speech but a cap on “Privacy Issues”.

Here is the crust of the problem, companies need to know more about you to sell more to you. Relevant advertisements, prospective clientage, growth patterns, industry predictions, network growth, and in nutshell, make more money for investors. Making profit is a great thing and so, is Internet privacy. There is no doubt that the responsibility lies towards  governments, ICANN, social media companies but a big chunk of this problem can be resolved by using “thinking software” and Natural Language Semantics.

They miss, Natural Language Semantics

Reason why companies need to know netizens shopping cart details, private networks, website visits and the details from the drop downs boxes , is because, they do not understand what individuals write about themselves. Companies do not make sense out of the descriptive paragraphs/tweets/updates, what netizens write. But they surely understand what is selected about by the netizens.

Content written by netizens on social networks, and the content liked by them has conceptual relevance. It indirectly tells a lot about their intensity, mood and needs. This information is not just legal, but also smart. When someone writes/tweets that “I am going to watch movie this weekend”; it makes more sense to sell her movie tickets rather than someone whose profile says:

DO YOU LIKE MOVIES – Select – “YES/NO”

Lots of personal information is stored and asked from the users of social networking. One major concern with the privacy, in social networking fraternity, is sharing of personal information under “I Agree” or user licensing clause. Sampling users based on their “written snippets”, without sharing entrusted information, will reduce the privacy outcry. Information holding company is liable for the information which user entrusts in them, but user is responsible for what he writes on the internet.

Understanding of English(or Any) language text by machines/software is important to make such a model successful. Technology is evolving but it is no way near to human intelligence. Lobbyist for and against the “Privacy Issues”, should lobby for commitments and investments form the government and social media companies in the fields of natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Natural language semantics is an icebreaker for those who want privacy and those who want return on their investments.

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