Facebook - Privacy Violation?
 

Alright - so my Executive Board has been struggling with the whole Facebook/Alcohol image for a while. Obviously, it's wrong to have pictures of yourself with alcohol if you're not of age. It's illegal. However, they have recently decided that they are not going to allow anyone that is OVER the age of 21 to display any sort of alcohol in their pictures either and "action will be taken" if this continues.

I'm 22 years old. If I'm being forced to take down a picture of myself enjoying a beer that I purchased for myself legally, isn't this a violation of my privacy? I'm having trouble conveying this to them. Help would be appreciated :)

How is this a violation of your privacy? Privacy is having the ability to withhold info about oneself and to be selective of who to release that info to. I think you might be confused -- if anything, they may be infringing your freedom of expression.

Regardless of that, if your bylaws require you to uphold a certain positive image, then having a photo of you enjoying a beer might not be the best idea. If you're willing to comply with rules saying that you need to have a certain GPA to have certain member privileges (and stay in the sorority), then why can't you comply with making sure you don't have any online photos of you holding a beer? I've heard of chapters fining members/taking away privileges because they wouldn't clean up the Facebook profiles and photos. You may have the right to have photos of you holding beer [that you purchased because you're 22 OMG!!!ELEVENTY!!!] but is it really worth risking your sisterhood? Good luck trying to convince them, btw. I have a feeling you'll have little to no luck.

Assuming you're a collegian, I'd just suck it up until you become an alum. They're not doing this to punish you. They're just ensuring that you and your sisters maintain a positive image, and I don't see why you'd even want to question that -- especially when it makes YOU look good.

You know your boss could fire you if you show up with needle marks on your arms too. Invasion of privacy?

What is so important about this picture that you have to have it on your facebook?
1. Is it really worth the time and energy to fight it?
2. Do you have that you are connected with your sorority anywhere on your facebook? If so, even as an alum, I wouldn't post it. GLO + alcohol advertising is usually a bad idea.

There is no privacy violation. They haven't gained illegal access to your home or online passwords.

The sorority is trying to shift its image away from alcohol and partying. You are a member of XYZ sorority, and you're being asked to promote the sorority in a positive way. This means refraining from promoting alcohol consumption on the internet.

No one is telling you that you can't drink alcohol or photograph yourself drinking alcohol.

Any time you join a group that wants to maintain a certain image (so basically just about any group), you give up certain rights for the betterment of the whole. This does not apply only to Greek life. I have heard of instances of athletes getting in trouble over pictures on facebook or going to the bar in practice jerseys. It's one picture, get over it. If you're 22, it's probably better that you don't have it up anyway. Honestly, it's no different from buying a house in an expensive neighborhood and not being able to paint it hot pink due to homeowner's association rules.

Facebook isn't private.

1.) What you are thinking of is that this is a violation of freedom of speech. This is not a violation of privacy.


2.) The last time I checked unless its an actual bottle advertising the beverage for all they know it could be apple juice in that glass and its up to them to prove that its alcohol.


I love being a sticklar for loop holes. hahaha That's probably why my mom always wanted me to join the debate team or become a lawyer.

Generally, it is not a good idea to have pictures with any kind of glass/beverage up, unless it's something blatantly obvious like a milkshake. I have seen pictures of people drinking soda from red Solo cups, and despite the fact that I know what's in those cups, Coke isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I see them. And I'm sure that all 22 year olds drink apple juice when they go out.

Kahlua mudslide? ;)

Rule of thumb for the young 'uns, treat all your online stuff like it's your resume because more and more, it's looked at that way. So besides the whole "what would your Mom/Grandma think", imagine every employer you ever want to work with (or graduate school you want to attend) looking at your profile.

I still don't get why people put all their personal business out there anyway, but if you feel the need to share so much, at least make good decisions. Cover up to at least a level of decency, avoid any drinking photos that are in any way questionable regardless of your age, and no one needs to see you tongue kissing anyone.

I don't go on those sites but people check them for me and I'm floored by the stories of what they find online.

It's also possible to put your pictures and profile private, so that only you, or only the people on your friends list can see photos and information you put up on your page.
But as everyone has already said, it's just a photo, there's no need to get too worked up over it. I mean honestly, if it's that great of a photo just crop the beverage out of it or place smiley face icon over top of it or something.

No privacy or freedom of expression issue here. No privacy issue because they aren't intruding into things that you'd like to keep private, they are asking you to be more private (and you don't have a good argument that a person has a reasonable expectation to keep a public facebook profile private FROM the sorority). No freedom of expression issue because your sorority is not the government. Private companies and associations can create terms of membership or employment that require you to refrain from doing something they don't like as a term of membership or employment. They only cross the line into something that is possibly against the law when they discriminate based on a protected right or class (e.g. they tell you not to vote, they tell you that you cannot go to your church, etc.). For better or worse, the right to consume a substance and publicize that use, whether legal or illegal, has never been given the type of legal protection that race, gender, religion, or the right to vote has. (Caveat: some peyote users in Oregon who tried to say their use (non-publicized) was protected as a religious practice made a particularly good argument about it... but they lost).

I think that your best bet is to appeal the issue with your sorority. Talk to them about the hassle of making sure everyone is complying with the rules in a world of daily/weekly updates to profiles. Also, think of what it will sound like to PNMs that hear that the sorority will tell you what you can put on your facebook profile. You won't be able to tell them exactly what rules exist and why if the gossip is out there (they'll just believe it). Perhaps a compromise is to require that IF your profile publicly mentions the GLO name that then any other PUBLIC photos (not ones hidden to friends only) will contain no alcohol.

What next, is your organization going to prevent you from consuming alcohol in public. I mean come on people, seriously the line has to be drawn somewhere. I mean, now if the picture already breaks existing by-laws such as no drinking in your letters or such that is fine. What if they said you they didn't want a candy bar in the picture cause that would put off the message that your organization is a bunch of obese girls who liked candy too much? Who is going to go for that? The fact is the action is legal and probably breaks no national policies so why push the issue? The fact is, a picture with alcohol in it can sometimes and a lot of times look better than a picture of a girl looking like hell who doesn't have alcohol in the picture but looks obviously drunk. And cups, who is to say there is or is not alcohol in a solo cup? What about cigarettes? Obviously when it comes to facebook discretion should be used as to what pictures are acceptable, but the fact is, I believe there is no harm in a picture of something completely legal.

this is just coming up with your chapter? numerous chapters of all npc sororities have been policing facebook for several years now. usually the executive officers divide up the chapter and are responsible for periodically checking a certain number of the members facebook accounts.

many npc sororities have national policies concerning what is appropriate to post on facebook,myspace, etc. yours may too.

protest if you want, but you are probably beating a dead horse. since you are 22, you may be approaching the end of your college career and it might be time to do some facebook housecleaning, in case a potential employer makes a habit of checking facebook accounts of prospective employees.