Something Else to Worry About: Web Bugs

Spammers use them all the time, but have you ever heard of web bugs?  Sure, we all know what cookies are, but what about web bugs?  Well, these are a type of spyware that allows a spammer to know when an e-mail he sent was viewed.  They are also used to confirm the validity of the e-mail address.

Advertisers are also using these web bugs to see which sites people are visiting and how often they visit.  By using this information, the advertisers are able to generate reports on Internet users so that related ads can be placed on each particular user’s browser.

Browsers can either accept or reject cookies, but web bugs are a different story.  They are usually formatted as a GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), which is commonly used on the Internet.  This is why a browser will normally accept the web bugs.  Even though it’s a GIF (which people associate with pictures), the web bug will go unnoticed in a spammer’s e-mail.  This is because the image is very small; usually no bigger than 1 X 1 pixel.  The image will also blend into whatever background it’s on; if the background is white, the web bug will be white.  As for advertisers, they are very clever, too.  They can hide a web bug in a site’s logo, so even though it is right in front of you, you will never see it.

If you’ve ever received an e-greeting card, you have encountered web bugs.  When a card is sent, the sender will be given an option to be e-mailed when the card is received and viewed.  This is a prime example of web bugs at work.

Because spammers are one of the main users of web bugs, concerns about privacy are high.  With the use of web bugs, a spammer will have access to an incredible amount of information about the recipients of his e-mails.  The web bugs will tell the spammer the IP Address of the computer receiving the web bug, it identifies the URL the web bug came from, it identifies the URL of the page it was viewed on and it can identify the exact time the web bug was viewed.  These web bugs are like tiny little stalkers, keeping track of your movements.

Privacy concerns also arise when a web bug is placed on a particular website.  The main concern is that an individual’s Internet browsing is being tracked without that individual’s knowledge or consent.  To make matters worse, this tracking isn’t going against any website’s privacy policy since the bugs are generally placed by third parties.  Third parties aren’t required to adhere to the privacy policy terms and conditions.

Whether they come from a spammer’s e-mail or a website, these web bugs are putting everyone’s privacy in jeopardy.  Personal information is being gathered, yet there’s nothing you can do to stop it.  One thing you can do to help guard against the web bugs is to turn off your browser cookies.  A safer option would be to use a proxy server.  With a proxy server, you and your activities can’t be tracked by web bugs because it’s not your IP Address that is being tracked; it’s the IP Address of the proxy server.

You can also keep your privacy secure by using the proxy servers of Privacy Partners.  They offer a FREE trial so that you may see firsthand how using a proxy server can work to your advantage.  Besides changing your IP Address, each connection is encrypted and NEVER monitored, so you can be sure that your information will be safe. 

Law Enforcement and Social Media

It’s common knowledge that most criminals aren’t the smartest people around.  Many of them are so proud of their crimes that they feel the need to tell people about them.  This has happened a lot in the past, but now, that just about everyone has at least one social media account, the criminals now have a wider audience they can brag to.  Before social media, it took a while for word to spread about how “George” burglarized 10 houses in one night.  Now, with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the word can go out immediately to thousands of people. 

 

While spreading the word mouth-to-mouth took a while, it also took the police to catch up with these criminals.  Social media, along with the egos of criminals, has now made arresting some of these crooks a quick, simple process.  Things go a lot quicker for the police when criminals are posting about their crimes on Facebook and Twitter, posting pictures of their “haul” on Instagram and even posting videos of the crime, as it’s happening, on YouTube. Like I said, criminals aren’t the smartest people around.

 

While criminals have long discovered that bragging about crimes they commit on social media lets people know how “bad” they are, the police are now discovering how to use Pinterest as a means to catch criminals.  In Redwood City, California, police have used Pinterest to post photos of items recovered from arrests in order to return them to their rightful owners.  Detective Dave Stahler had success using Pinterest in February when he posted a picture of a family heirloom that was recovered among other stolen jewelry.  Three users called in tips within a few hours of the post going up.

In Richmond, Virginia, police have used Pinterest to solve murder cases and a town in Pennsylvania set up a Pinterest board to post mug shots.  Arrests for theft, sexual assault and fraud have seen a 57% increase since this board was set up.  Hopefully, more towns will see the usefulness of this and begin their own mug shot boards.

Google Glass: Innovative or Creepy?

In 2012, Google began testing and demonstrating a new product that they call “Google Glass”.  Google Glass is a device that is a very small display screen and it is made to be worn either by itself, or hooked on to a pair of glasses or sunglasses.  The device will show the user the time, give directions, search the Internet, send messages and take photos and videos.  This is all done hands-free.  Just speak and Google Glass will do as you ask. 

  

Since its debut, there have been around 8,000 Glass wearers.  Last year, at SxSW (an annual conference featuring music, films and interactive technology), Google Glass was seen everywhere.  The same was true of this year’s conference.  People are curious about what it’s like, but most find it pretty creepy.  But, why is it that most people find it creepy?  After all, it’s just a small piece of glass that sits near the wearer’s eye.

When you see someone wearing Google Glass, whether they are sitting across from you at a table or simply walking past you on the street, you never know what they are doing on the device.  They could be reading texts, doing research, or they could be doing nothing at all with it at the time.  When someone walks by you wearing Google Glass, you would never know if that person has just taken a picture of you or even shot a video as you were approaching each other.  This is what makes it so creepy.  In fact, many people feel uncomfortable even coming close to someone wearing Google Glass.

Google Glass makes people so uncomfortable that some have been told to leave stores, clubs and even meetings at work if they didn’t remove the device.  Wearing Google Glass at an airport could cause problems as could driving while wearing the device.   In fact, Cecilia Abadie was the first person to get a traffic ticket while wearing Google Glass.  She was initially stopped for speeding in October 2013, but when the officer saw that she was wearing Google Glass, he added a ticket for the violation “monitor visible to driver”.  Ms. Abadie took the matter to Court in January 2014 and was found not guilty.  The officer had no proof that the monitor was turned on at the time of the incident.

When it comes to discussion groups about Google Glass, there are two views:  Google Glass wearers love the device, but those interacting with them don’t like it at all.  In fact, they barely tolerate it.  In social situations, non-wearers get a feeling of paranoia because they feel they are always being “watched”.

What’s odd about all this discomfort is that those who say they don’t like the feeling that they are being recorded by Google Glass wearers don’t think twice about being recorded other ways; like with a smart phone or security cameras.  Of course, the difference here is that with a smart phone or security cameras, you always know when you are being recorded.  With Google Glass, you would never know.  So, I guess the feeling of unease isn’t from the fact that they could be recorded, it’s from the not knowing if it’s happening or not.  

Google Glass wearers don’t see an issue with each other because they know how the device works.  However, if you have never worn Google Glass, and you are talking with someone who wears it, all you see is this small piece of glass and you can’t help but wonder if your conversation is being recorded.

How Else Will Your Privacy Be Taken?

In the article Looking for a Job?  Beware of this Privacy Risk, you learned how looking for work could lead to a breach in your privacy.  This is a risk for only those who are currently looking for a job.  There is another privacy risk that should be a concern to everyone, regardless of age or state of employment.  Employers and schools are demanding to know your social media information.

Many companies do not want their names mentioned in social media unless they have control over what is being said.  The only way these companies have to keep control over this is by checking each employee’s social media accounts to make sure nothing derogatory is being said about the company.  Because anyone can set privacy controls, the only way to know everything that an employee says on social media is to have full access to the accounts.  That is why employers are asking for the log-in names and passwords of all employees. 

 

Employers are not only looking for what is said about the company, or if the employee has the company name listed as their place of employment, they are also looking for anything inappropriate that may be posted.  Pictures of wild parties or visits to a nude beach may just get you fired.  True, these parties and beach pictures were taken on your leisure time, but now, unless you have a contract, you are considered an “at will” employee.  This means that your employer can terminate your employment for any reason.  Even if you have a contract, most of them have a morals clause, so any inappropriate postings could void the contract.

Losing Privacy While Seeking Employment

As we all know, the rate of unemployment all over the US is staggering.  Many of these unemployed people are without jobs through no fault of their own.  Many companies are closing their doors, and with so many people out of work and looking for jobs, this gives employers a chance to try new methods of weeding out “undesirable” candidates.  One of the methods now being used is to ask each candidate to agree to a credit check at the time an application is submitted. 

 

What does a credit check have to do with one’s ability to work?  Well, according to employers, if someone has bad credit, they are considered a high risk for corporate theft.  So, if you have bad credit, you will not be getting an interview.  By using this theory, instead of creating a time frame for 20 interviews, that number can be lowered to 5 or less with the click of a button.

True, prospective employees aren’t forced to submit to this credit check, however, if you don’t agree, your application will not be considered.  The employers hold all the cards on this. 

 

There are a few flaws with this method of choosing potential employees:

1.  Each time a credit check is run, it lowers your credit score.  Credit reporting services don’t see this as an employment check; they just see it as you looking to get approval to raise your credit limit or to add yet another credit account.

2.  If you file applications with several companies, all of which are receiving your credit report.  This means that an unknown number of strangers are privy to not only your credit score, but also know each bank and amount you have credit with.

 

3.  You will not be given a chance to explain your low credit score.  Employers don’t care WHY the credit score is low; they just care that it IS low.

4.  Employers don’t take into consideration that you haven’t paid your bills because you’ve been unemployed.  They see the low credit score and automatically assume that you will steal from the company.  It doesn’t seem to cross anyone’s mind that you want a job not to steal, but to earn money to pay your bills in order to raise your credit score.

Do You Regret Some Social Media Posts?

Every day, all over the world, people are signing on to the Internet and their social media accounts.  Facebook alone has millions of users worldwide who keep in touch with family and friends.  Then, there are those who use LinkedIn to keep up with business contacts or create new ones and still others who aren’t happy unless they check their Twitter accounts several times a day.  Do you have photos or videos you want the world to see?  No problem!  For that, there are Instagram and YouTube.  Social media is so important in our lives that most people have accounts with all of these giants.  Love it or hate it, it seems that social media is here to stay.  

In the early years of the Internet, in order to surf the web, you needed to be either home or in your office sitting in front of your computer.  Today, everywhere you look, people are on the Internet.  There are so many gadgets available with Internet access that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn are available at the touch of an icon.  With your smartphone, tablet or iPod, the Internet is at your fingertips no matter where you are.  Because of this easy access, many people will hit that “Send” button without really thinking things through. 

Work can be stressful and your commute home is often the first time you had all day to just sit and relax.  As the bus brings you closer to home, you pick up your smartphone and post a rant on Facebook about your incompetent co-workers, your idiotic boss and how all the work falls on you or it would never get done.  As soon as you hit “Send”, you feel as if a weight has lifted off your shoulders.  You spend the rest of your commute either reading or catching a quick nap and in no time, your Facebook rant is forgotten.  Well, it’s forgotten until the next morning when you walk into the office and are greeted with angry stares and your boss is waiting for you at your desk with your final paycheck and your personal items packed away.  You don’t understand what’s happening and then you remember your rant.  You also remember that all of your co-workers and your boss are your Facebook friends. 

 

Another common mistake is recording a friends’ night out.  All through the night, martini after martini, you and your friends are snapping pictures with your smartphones and posting them to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.  At the end of the night, you and your friends decide that it would be “fun” to make use of the stripper pole on the stage to show your most seductive moves.  As each of you has a turn, the others are making videos and posting them to YouTube.  You and a few million others will see it the next day.  If it goes viral, maybe you’ll even see yourself on the news in a week or so. 

 

Then there are those who feel the need to update their relationship status each time they get a new girlfriend or boyfriend.  I don’t know why there is a need to let the world know that “Joanie is in a relationship with Chachi”, but, it gets posted and stays on the couple’s Facebook Timelines long after they break up.  Imagine all the relationship statuses there can be until you find Mr./Ms. Right. 

There used to be a time when drunk-dialing had to wait until you were home; today, you can drunk-dial your ex as you’re sitting at the bar!  But it doesn’t end at drunk-dialing; there is now drunk-Tweeting and drunk-Facebooking.  It’s so convenient to have this technology, but what happens when you realize that you blasted your co-worker, your boss or your significant other on Facebook or Twitter? 

Yes, social media at your fingertips turns normally reasonable people into unreasonable people.  No one seems to consider that Facebook updates and tweets in real time could be dangerous.  Letting the world know where you are every second allows you to be found by anyone.  It also lets thieves know that you aren’t home and the time to strike is now.  So, the question is:  Do you regret some of your social media posts?

Privacy is one of our most valuable commodities.  So many things can compromise our privacy, so don’t let social media be yet another risk.  Before you post anything, step back and ask yourself the following questions:

1.   How will this be viewed by my employer, prospective employer or university? 

2.   In the future, will this post embarrass me?

3.   Would I be embarrassed if my parents or children saw this?

4.   Can I lose my job if my boss sees this post?

Immediately delete the comment, video or photo if you answered “yes” to these questions.

All of us would like to keep our privacy safe.  At the top of this page there is a free download of our Privacy Guide.  Please take us up on this offer.  You will see many suggestions on how you can keep your private life private.

Is Your Smart TV Spying on You?

New York State Senator Chuck Schumer recently issued a warning to all smart TV owners:  If your TV is equipped with a camera and can connect to the Internet, it could be used to spy on you.  Yes, your smart TV is capable of allowing a hacker to steal your credit card information, or worse, your identity.  Not only that, but a hacker can remote-access your TV’s camera and watch everything you do in the room that the smart TV is in.  To make matters worse, these TVs don’t have much in the way of security settings. 

Researchers Aaron Grattafiori and Josh Yavor were at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada recently and showed how a smart TV can be hacked.  During the demonstration, they were able to control social media and any other application installed on the TV, they accessed files and even turned on the camera.  If they were able to do this, anyone else can do it too.  It’s like giving up your remote control to a hacker.

Mr. Grattafiori spoke with Mashable regarding this issue (Your Smart TV Can Be Hacked to Spy on You).  He said, “Because the TV only has a single user, any type of compromise into an application or into Smart Hub, which is the operating system – the smarts of the TV – has the same permission as every user, which is, you can do everything and anything.”

Grattafiori and Yavor, who work for iSEC Partners, a security firm, began looking into the issues with smart TVs in December of 2012.  They notified Samsung about this security breach in January 2013.  Samsung issued a statement to CNN shortly after claiming that “patches” have been issued to plug up the holes in security (Your TV Might be Watching You), which now makes it difficult for hackers to break into your smart TV.

Who is Following You When You Shop?

By now, we all know that when we shop over the Internet, we’re being tracked.  But, did you know that when you shop in the stores, you’re also being tracked?  Each time we enter a store, whether it’s a department store or a grocery store, we see security cameras positioned in just about every aisle.  These cameras, however, are not doing the tracking.  Customers are being tracked through their cell phones. 

According to the New York Times, last fall, Nordstrom began using Wi-Fi signals from customers’ cell phones to track their movements (Attention Shoppers:  Stores are Tracking Your Cell).  A sign was posted advising customers of the tracking and many shoppers were not happy about it.  Tara Darrow, a Nordstrom spokesperson said, “We did hear some complaints” and because of this, the tracking was stopped in May 2013.  Other stores testing this type of tracking include Family Dollar, Cabela’s and Mothercare. 

 

This tracking can tell a lot about a customer.  The cell phone signals used with the security cameras will tell the retailer exactly who is shopping.  They know how long each shopper spends in any aisle, how long they look at something before they actually purchase it and even the gender of the shopper.  Somehow, many shoppers find this tracking much more invasive than being tracked on-line with cookies.  They consider this more of an invasion of privacy because with on-line tracking, you are still fairly anonymous in the sense that cookies can’t see you.

What is the Solution to Being Banned from a Website?

Being banned from a website is a problem that many Internet users are faced with.  It can happen if you post too much or post inappropriate content.  It may not even be something you did.  It could be that for whatever reason, the Webmaster just doesn’t like what you are posting.   If you agree with the ban or not, the decision has been made.  So, is there a solution?

You would think that deleting your cookies and creating a new username and password will by-pass that ban, but that isn’t the case.  You see, when you are banned from a website, not only are your username and password banned, but your IP Address is banned as well.  Don’t panic; the situation isn’t hopeless.

Changing your IP Address can be done in a few ways:  1) Go to your local public hotspot whenever you want to go onto the banned site (but that isn’t convenient at all); 2) switch Internet Service Providers (but that would cost too much, especially if you are locked into a contract with your old ISP); or 3) you can find a proxy service that has multiple servers for you to choose from.

Changing your IP Address by using a proxy service is the easiest and most convenient way to do this.  It can be done at any time right from home.  You would need to delete your cookies then pick which proxy server you want to sign on with.  Go to the website, create your new username and password and you will be good to go.  Since the IP Address is that of the proxy, you will no longer be banned.  Just be careful not to get banned again.  True, you would have many proxy servers to choose from, but remember that if you get banned from the website using the proxy, any other members of that service will also be banned from that website if they happen to use your banned IP Address.  Just read and understand the rules of the website and this shouldn’t be a problem.

Getting on banned websites isn’t the only advantage to using a proxy server.  When you use a reputable service, your line of communication is always encrypted no matter where you are; at a public hotspot or at home using your wireless router.  The encryption will keep you safe from hackers because none of your information will be readable to them.  Make sure you use a reputable service because sometimes those free proxies are owned and run by some shady characters that monitor the lines and sell your information.  You won’t have that worry with a reputable service because the lines will be encrypted and unmonitored.  

My information and privacy is important to me, so I use Private Proxy.  No matter where I go, my information is safe.  Try it for yourself by going to the Home page and use the link for the Risk Free Trial.  You could be surfing the Internet safely within minutes.

Can Your GPS Lead a Stranger to Your Door?

Nowadays, almost everyone has a GPS.  As you drive down the highways and back roads, just about every car you see has one attached to the windshield.  Some newer models of cars come with the GPS as either a standard feature or an option.  A GPS doesn’t only tell you how to get where you’re going; it also tells you when you should be arriving.   If one of the roads you need is closed, or if traffic is unusually heavy, the GPS will tell you which detour to take.  For these reasons, I’m addicted to my GPS, just like millions of other people.

Yes, the GPS is a huge part of our lives, but do we ever think about how we can be risking our safety by using it?  Think of all the information about you that a criminal can get just by looking through your GPS’s “Favorite Places”.   Below is a scenario that is played over and over all over the country:

You just got a promotion at your job.  Along with this came a very large raise, so, to celebrate, you and your husband go out for a night on the town.  Your first stop is that new nightclub that opened a few weeks ago because a band that you both love is playing there.   You know the address, but aren’t sure how to get there, so you program it into your GPS.  You get to the club and hand your car over to the valet so you don’t have to walk unfamiliar streets to find it later.  If you have an in-dash GPS, it’s all but forgotten, but if you have a portable GPS, you stash it in the glove box so it’s out of sight.

Maybe your husband comments about the band and how long it’s been since you’ve both been to one of their concerts.  You tell him that you can’t wait and will savor every minute until the club closes and you are forced to leave.  During this conversation, the valet has heard every word.  He also noticed where you put your portable GPS, or that you didn’t turn off your in-dash GPS.  Who is this person that you just handed your car to?  Does he have a criminal background?  Well, whoever this person is, he now knows your plans for the entire evening.

The valet is doing a quick scan of your keys as you are walking into the club.  He notices that you are like thousands of others who keep their house keys on the same key ring as your car key.  He then takes your car and parks it.  He reaches for your GPS and scans your list of “Favorite Places”.  He hits the jackpot when he sees an entry listed as “Home”.

Which Would You Choose: Privacy or Security?

Carnegie Mellon University’s Pedo-Biometrics Lab in Pittsburgh, PA has a joint project with a Canadian company, Autonomous ID.  The project is a security scanner that is built into the in-soles of shoes.  These in-soles will be used at high security companies, power plants and military bases to screen employees attempting to gain access to high risk areas.

The idea for this type of device came to Todd Gray, President of Autonomous ID, when he visited his daughter right after she gave birth.  Gray noticed that the walls of the maternity ward were decorated with the footprints of all the babies who were born there.  When he saw this, he realized that each person’s footprints were as unique as their fingerprints.  To start the project, Gray paid $1.5 million to Pedo-Biometrics Lab.  

Security or privacy?  The choice is yours.

These special in-soles will have sensors that measure the amount of pressure each step places on specific areas.   Height, weight and gait are all factors used to make these measurements.   When an employee is fitted with these in-soles, he or she will walk around so his or her data can be stored in a master file located in microcomputers.  From this master file, security clearance level will be confirmed.  If confirmed, access to the area will be granted; a silent alarm will be triggered if the employee does not have clearance.   

Preliminary tests that were run on in-sole samples demonstrated that there is an accuracy rate of 99% after only three steps.  Further tests are taking place that will take such factors as dieting, athleticism and nationality into account.  Tests will also be done on fraternal and identical twins.  Mr. Gray is of the opinion that there is less of a privacy risk to these in-soles as opposed to eye scans. 

Attorney Lee Tien of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) doesn’t fully agree with that opinion.    “Every biometric capture device is a potential tracking device, just like every iPhone is a potential tracking device.  That’s just the way things are.” is the statement made by Mr. Tien.  He did, however, feel that the in-soles “might make a person feel a little bit better” about their security.  Another positive point Tien made was that the identification accuracy rate of 99% after merely three steps is “pretty impressive”.

Can you be tracked without consent?

There was a negative side that Tien saw:  these in-soles could be inserted into an employee’s shoes without his knowledge or consent.  In this respect, they could be considered a “spy tool”.

Thinking about all the pros and cons, I can’t imagine allowing my employer to know everywhere I go, even on my time off from work.  I would simply feel like I was being stalked.  I’m not willing to give up my privacy like that.

Privacy is our greatest asset and we should not be willing to risk it.  Learn how to protect yourself both on line and off by taking a few minutes to download the free Internet Privacy Guide at the top of this page.  Isn’t it worth a few minutes to learn how to keep your privacy safe?

Today’s Tech-Savvy Youth

Children today are becoming more and more tech savvy.  Everywhere you go, you see toddlers holding toy cell phones, or “working” on toy computers that are loaded with learning games.  Parents bring portable DVD players on car trips or to restaurants in order to keep the kids entertained.   These devices, marketed for young children, are seen more and more.  It seems that technology is taking over not only our lives, but the lives of our kids.

Classes on basic computer operations are being held in pre-schools.   When children reach elementary school age, they should not only know how to operate a computer, but they should also know how to access the Internet and conduct web searches.  The rising cost of textbooks has made it impossible for schools to purchase a book for every class for each child.   Now, to save costs, they are having the students download e-textbooks from the schools’ websites.   Each school’s website also doubles as an on-line community where students can “speak” to each other.   Teachers volunteer to tutor after hours on the website, so if students are having difficulties with a homework assignment or a particular subject in general, they can get help. 

At the beginning of the new school year, or at the end of the old school year, the schools will send memos to the parents on which computers or laptops to purchase.   This is to insure that the students have the equipment that meets the system requirements for downloads, etc.  The schools will also advise the parents of where these computers can be purchased at the best possible price.  Some may even offer coupons for a limited time.

Bullying VS Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying should not be equated to bullying. In the past, the schoolyards or the streets were the most common venues of bullying. It was there that they become either victims or act as bullies, depending on some characteristics.

Today, cyberbullying is becoming more common among them. What this means is that the venues are not just the schoolyards or the streets, but cyberspace as well!

What raises some privacy concerns are the results of researches conducted on “real life” bullying and cyberbullying among the youth. It started when it was observed that some schools were under the assumption that existing anti-bullying programs can also deal with cyberbullying. Contrary to this, students aged 10 to 18 that were involved in the research do not share that same belief. They say that aggressions that happen online cannot be dealt with by existing anti-bullying rules.

Studies on bullying in schools showed three characteristics. These characteristics are: power differential between the bully and the victim, a planned targeting of a victim, and ongoing aggression. These characteristics are not necessarily involved in cyberbullying. In fact, some of the findings suggest that these kids play multiple roles in cyberbullying. They can be the bullies, the victims, or the witnesses. At any time, a teenager can take the role of any one or two of these online.  In school, the above three characteristics will give an individual his or her enduring role in the bullying circle.

Another disturbing finding is that 95% of the kids asked about this issue say that cyberbullying, since only done online, is just a joke. They do not realize the level of harm that is associated with these actions. Cyberbullying can be damaging to the victim’s mental health and developmental well-being. If the victim is a student, his or her academic achievements can be negatively affected. The worst case scenario can be a suicide attempt, which can end up in an unjustifiable death. It is high time that specific laws on cyberbullying should be crafted and implemented.

Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tighter Online Privacy Rules - A Must

There are high expectations that consumers will enjoy the benefits of tighter online privacy rules by the end of 2012. Many companies have signified their willingness to adopt the final recommendations set forth as best practices in privacy protection. By backing tighter online privacy laws, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is confident that consumers’ data will not be abused. It is anticipated that consumers will be able to benefit from new services without sacrificing their privacy.

For a start, companies are already working to include privacy protection into every project that they have. Attention is being given on how people’s data is kept safe and in controlling how much information is collected. Consumers are being put in control by giving them the option to decide what information about them is to be shared. This can be achieved if there is a “Do Not Track” system that can be used by consumers in order to control the tracking of their activities.

How can tighter online privacy rules help internet consumers? The beginning of all these privacy issues is due to the large number of privacy violations. Consumers are not aware that their online activities are being tracked. They also do not know what happens after their personal data is collected. It is either used directly, or sold to other companies. Most important of all, they do not know that there are ways of protecting their privacy.

This is why U.S. regulators are insisting that an easy-to-use tool that really works for consumer protection is put in place on internet companies. Some companies responded positively and promised to cooperate. The rest are still holding on to their belief that too much control will kill innovation and eventually, the business. There is a possibility that a favorable, final agreement will be reached among internet companies.

The government wants the data miners to give more respect to consumer privacy. Innovation should not only continue, but should also be encouraged because it promotes creativity and boosts the economy. However, it is not right to compromise privacy rights just because consumers do not have the tools to protect themselves. It must be remembered that tighter online privacy rules are meant to protect both consumers and internet businesses.
Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net