Your Whispers and Secrets Aren't as Private as You Think

The impulse to share secrets with strangers predates smartphones. We've been scrawling our hidden hearts onto bathroom walls for so long there's even a fancy word for it: latrinalia.

Today's public secret-telling takes place on social networks instead of bathroom stalls, but it's essentially the same content: a mix of earnest soul-sharing, quips, disses, and lies. Apps like Whisper and Secret have exploded in popularity in recent months. They're the bathroom stall for a younger generation.

There's one big problem: Taking a Sharpie to the rickety third stall of your favorite bar to make fun of your boss will certainly let a stranger in on your frustration while protecting your anonymity. Expressing the same sentiment on Whisper, where posts are public, or on Secret, where they're viewed by people within your social circle, it may feel just as private. But it's not. Our digital fingerprints don't smudge into oblivion as quickly as toilet graffiti. Read more...