Computer and Network Security

Hacking

Although hacking was not addressed in the movie, there have been instances of Social media companies suffering from hackers. For example, Facebook (which also owns Instagram) suffered a data breach in 2019 which resulted in over 530 million users’ “phone numbers, full names, locations, some email addresses” getting leaked [1]. Companies like Snapchat have also suffered from attackers abusing vulnerabilities in attempts to steal user data [4]. So although it is not addressed in the movie, it is still important to consider that social media users like Kayla could have their data exposed due to data leaks and vulnerabilities in software.

Cyber Crime

Cyberbullying is defined as “using the internet or mobile technology to harass, intimidate, or cause harm to another” [2]. More than half of U.S. states also include “cyberbullying” in their broader legislation for bullying and harassment laws [2]. In the movie, Kayla is not subjected to cyberbullying online. Kayla’s usage of social media is largely for her personal YouTube videos, texting and messaging on Snapchat and Instagram, watching other YouTube videos and tutorials, and looking at her peers’ Instagram posts. No one bullies or harasses Kayla using social media in the film, but in the real world, Pew research reports that over 59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online [3]. So, cyberbullying is a prevalent issue in the U.S., and legislation has attempted to include cyberbullying in the definitions for harassment and bullying.

References

[1] Emma Bowman, “After Data Breach Exposes 530 Million, Facebook Says It Will Not Notify Users,” (NPR, April 9, 2021), https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/986005820/after-data-breach-exposes-530-million-facebook-says-it-will-not-notify-users, Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

[2] “Cyberbullying Laws,” (FindLaw, September 18, 2023), https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/cyber-bullying.html, Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

[3] Monica Anderson, “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying,” (Pew Research Center, September 27, 2018), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/, Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

[4] Damien Black, “Snapchat fails to patch year-old bug, leaving millions exposed to data theft,” (Cybernews, 03 August 2022), https://cybernews.com/security/snapchat-fails-to-patch-year-old-bug-leaving-millions-exposed-to-data-theft/, Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.