Social networking sites have now become rampant, so that any single misuse may lead to various risks. Due to the relative freedom given by social networks, personal information is becoming prone to dangers, such as sexual predation and business hijacking. The transfer of data (especially important ones like medical records) and alteration of significant information are also instances that can be experienced by any subscriber. The harmful effects of social network misuses are evident in several incidents.

In 2006, Lori Janine Drew created a false Myspace profile of Josh Evans, which resulted in the suicide of Megan Meier. This incident awakened global concerns about social network abuses. Another victim, Matthew Firsht, was questioned about his sexuality due to the fake Facebook profile that was posted by Grant Raphael. Raphael was charged for breach of privacy and libel, and was ordered to pay GBP £22,000 as payment for damages.

As a result, social networks have heightened their security to the point that even genuine uses of these services may be treated with suspicion. An example is Elmo Keep. In September 2008, Keep was suspected of using a fake profile name on his Facebook account (Elmo has a resemblance to Sesame Street's Elmo).

Some huge network services have developed several ways to counteract or prevent network misuses. Particularly, MySpace affiliates with law enforcement agencies to provide security for its subscribers. Amongst others, the cooperation of subscribers is still the greatest factor to effect the social network’s accountability.