Osbert Journey

I find the Herrick vs Grindr article very interesting. Social media has become in a way our identity online, whether it is Instagram, Facebook, or dating platforms like Tinder or Grindr. However, because it is hard to regulate or verify whether the user is actually who they are, the internet phenomenon of “catfish” or “catfishing” has become a more prevalent issue. I want to investigate more on online identities and false identities. I’m interested in this topic because as someone who is an active user on social media platforms, I’ve experienced encountering fake profiles, as well as have seen impersonators of myself. Herrick blames not only the impersonator, but also the platform Grindr for allowing fake profiles and that they should be held accountable. However, as we’ve discussed in class, by agreeing to the terms and conditions, users of apps are agreeing to clauses and policies that protect these social media platforms. I’m curious to see if this case were to be judged in court, would Grindr be protected from their terms and conditions, or if they would be ruled responsible due to social ethics. Not only in court, but also what users and other people think about this situation. Social media platforms like Grindr, Instagram have provided the option for users to report fake profiles for impersonating, but whether this function is fully effective or not is questionable. There have been cases where profiles were deleted when deemed fake, but also users who struggle to deal with many impersonating profiles reoccurring and sometimes even to delete one single profile.