Importance of Online Privacy
Online privacy nowadays is very important in today's world as modern technology is advancing at a very rapid rate. Having your personal information leaked is as easy as pressing the enter key on your keyboard. Once this information is leaked, getting it removed almost becomes impossible. Personal information includes the following: name, address, phone, name of your school, visited websites, and downloaded songs. Using this private information, companies can send you spam emails that are specially made to fit your needs and interests. People can misuse your photographs and information to steal your identity and create credit cards in your name, which would leave you in a lot of trouble considering the consequences. There are many laws and regulations in place to protect your personal information. The private sector privacy law in Canada is called the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). An example of one law regualted by PIPEDA is that they require the companies to get consent before collecting , using, or disclosing information about you. Companies don't always follow such rules though but in the case they don't, you can contact PIPEDA. Their information can be found online. There are many important factors to remember when building a secure online identity. Remember to pay attention to privacy settings. When signing up for a new site, restrict access to just your friends to prevent random strangers from gaining access. Also, think before you post. Anything you say can and will be used against you. The general rule for whether the post is acceptable is simply to ask yourself whether the post would be presentable to a teacher or your parents. Last but not least, protect you personal details. Be careful with your personal information as it is very sensitive. Your actual friends already know that information and can access you if they require it, but strangers have no such need for this information. Protecting your password is very important as well. Once someone gains access to your account, they have an endless amount of possibilites on ways of ruining your life.
Ways To Protect Your Identity
- Make a fake account to "test" out the website before entering your real information.
- Only use websites after confirming that their legit (use friends or online forums to learn more about them).
- If you feel any of your information is at risk, contact the authorities right away.
- Have your privacy settings set properly.
- Be careful of what you post, use the parents/boss rule when confused whether a post is acceptable or not.
- Keep your anti-virus program upto date.
- Use secure passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Look for the lock symbol on the right side of your address bar.
- Keep your browser and operating system upto date to prevent any attempts to hack.
- If you receive a suspicious email asking for your personal information, get it confirmed by contacting the company before proceeding.