It’s the talk of the Internet town and the biggest question media-watchers are asking is: are your internet posts really private?

Recently an insurance company stopped paying health insurance benefits to a patient who had been diagnosed of depression. The claim is that the company saw the patient, who was on  long leave from her work, having a good time on a beach. And how did it do that? Through photos that she had posted on Facebook. It concluded that she was no longer depressed and therefore, not entitled to the payment.

The insurance company says that it has not done so ‘merely on the basis of Facebook photos’ suggesting that it has stronger evidence. The patient maintains that she is still unwell. And that she was giving herself a break based on her doctor’s advice.

All this has, however, prompted a cry of outrage from fellow patients, who wonder whether people with depression are not allowed to let their  hair down and enjoy a happy moment or two.

It has also sparked off a bigger debate about privacy rules. Some voices say that this incident merely proves that nothing you post online is really private. Or completely safe. Whatever you place in social channels such as Facebook and YouTube are meant for a larger audience, and you have very little control over who accesses it. There are also concerns about Facebook’s privacy policies.

The patient has filed a case against the insurance company. While we wait for the legal verdict, the one obvious takeaway is: think twice about what you post online. You may be telling people a lot more about yourself than you intend to.