Privacy is a hot-button issue in the tech world. Privacy is often thought of as a moral or a legal right. But is it really possible to maintain privacy on the internet?
Most internet users would like to be anonymous online, but
many think it is not possible to be completely anonymous online. Many internet
users have experienced problems because others stole their personal information
or otherwise took advantage of their visibility online.
Internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, re-purposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet. Internet privacy is a subset of computer privacy. Privacy concerns have been articulated from the beginnings of large scale computer sharing.
What online activities reveal our data or information?
- Signing up for internet service -- the ISP company know your IP address & could reveal to third parties.
- Browsing the internet by use of search engines, cookies..
- Using email
- Using Mobile apps
- etc
How do people get my online information? According to www.privacyrights.org people get your info. through;
- Marketing -- The Internet can be useful to businesses for marketing purposes. Through the Internet, businesses can sell and communicate with customers. The Internet also allows businesses to identify and learn about their customer base.
- Behavioral marketing or targeting -- refers to the practice of collecting and compiling a record of individuals' online activities, interests, preferences, and/or communications over time. Companies engaged in behavioral targeting routinely monitor individuals, the searches they make, the pages they visit, the content they view, their interactions on social networking sites, and the products and services they purchase.
- Location tracking -- Any website or app can determine the approximate location of your computer or device by using one of several technologies. If you are using a computer, your IP address can identify your approximate location. Most IP addresses can identify you by your city or metropolitan area. Some can identify a more specific location.
- Web bugs. Many websites use Web bugs to track who is viewing their pages. A Web bug (also known as a tracking bug, pixel tag, Web beacon, or clear gif) is a graphic in a website or a graphic-enabled e-mail message. The Web bug can confirm when the message or page is viewed and record the IP address of the viewer.
- Employee monitoring Individuals who access the Internet from work should know that employers are increasingly monitoring the Internet sites that employees visit. Be sure to inquire about your employer's online privacy policy. If there is none, recommend that such a policy be developed. If you are unsure of what the policy is or if there is no policy, assume everything you do on your work computer is being monitored.
- Nigerian 419 letters. Nigerian 419 letters, also called advance-fee scams, are sent via e-mail to millions of people. The letters typically relay a story of a foreign person who has inherited a windfall of money, but needs help in getting the money out of the country. The sender offers the recipient a share of the money for help in transferring the money. The assistance required is usually to front money to pay for "taxes," "attorneys costs," "bribes," or "advance fees.” Although this scam sounds far-fetched the FBI reports that the average financial loss from these scams is $3,000.
- Malicious Links -- It is very easy to get duped into clicking on a malicious link. If you click on a malicious link, you will most likely be taken to a site that tricks you into providing personal information that can then be used to steal your money, or even worse, your identity. Clicking on a dangerous link could also cause malware to automatically download onto your computer.
According to Jat & Julia of The Guardian dot com;
If the web is anything to go by, the new hyper-connected
world will only make things worse for privacy. Potentially much worse. More services and more things only mean more data being
generated and exchanged. The increase in data volume and complexity might
plausibly result in less control. It’s a reasonable assumption, and it leaves
privacy in a rather sorry state.
The Big Brother question..???
According to Michelle V. Rafter of MSN dot com, Big Brother may be watching, but you don't have to make it easy for him. She recommends the below tips for maintaining your online privacy;
Use encryption. Popular email programs such as Microsoft Outlook
and Gmail have built-in encryption. So do websites that use Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure (HTTPS), the latest communications security protocol. You can
tell whether a website has HTTPS protection by looking at the site's URL in
your browser's address bar. If the URL starts with "https" instead of
"http" it has an extra protection, called secure socket layer (SSL),
built in. Sites with HTTPS encrypt personal data and other sensitive
information that users may share on the site
Shield your IP address. Downloaded to a desktop, laptop or smartphone, software programs
such as AnchorFree's HotSpot Shield or Easy-Hide-IP mask the device's IP address, rendering it undetectable by the
NSA, hackers, police, Internet service providers, or anyone else.
Become anonymous. The Internet's version of an underground railroad is Tor, a
free, volunteer-run worldwide chain of more than 3,000 Internet network relays
that anyone can use to conceal their identity and Internet activity from
surveillance and traffic analysis.
Use a virtual private network. Another option for becoming the Invisible Man or
Woman online is logging on through a personal virtual network. Software
programs such as proXPN VPN create a
secure, encrypted Internet connection and masked IP address for a home
computer, laptop or other device. The software can act as an extra layer of
protection if you're going online over a public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop
or airport, which might not be password protected.
Keep anti-virus updated. You may hate what it does to your PC, but if you don't have
anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-phishing software on the devices you use to
connect to the Internet, and you do get hacked, you'll hate it even more.
Clearly online privacy is one major issue that's here to stay but maybe we can start to be more mean with our information online, maybe its time to start taking action. What better way than to check out all your in-app privacy settings? You might be amazed at how much data you display to the world out there!
