When we create an account on a website, we are creating an electronic identity for our self. We use this identity to interact with others or the services provided by the website. When utilizing these provided services, should we expect our privacy to be respected?
This question brings up a few key points. When we use a company’s services online, or any website for that matter, we are at the mercy of the owner. We are on their server space and on their site, therefore we are governed by their rules. If we choose to unveil personal information on a website, we should not be surprised if that information becomes public. There is something that changes this thought though, and that called a “privacy policy.”
Wikipedia defines a privacy policy as “a legal document that discloses some or all of the ways a party gathers, uses, discloses and manages a customer’s data.” Almost every major site that handles personal information has one. The policy is a document that the website owner creates to let their users know how their information is handled. It is important to review a website’s privacy policy prior to using their service so you can make sure they handle your information in a way you feel comfortable with. The sites that do have a privacy policy must abide by it like they must abide by the law because it is a legal document. This article could go deeper into the legalities of privacy policies but OOP is not a legal consultation service and I don’t want to start telling you things that I’m not 100% on.
So, you put your information in a website that doesn’t have a privacy policy or it has a very relaxed one. Your information is at their hands and they can do what they want with it because you disclosed it to them. This is why it is important to understand how a particular site deals with the information. Just because a website has a privacy policy does not mean that they will treat your information with the privacy you would. There are no laws or standards regulating a privacy policy, in most cases. You can read about a few exceptions on wikipedia.
Moral of the story? It is up to us to protect our own privacy, not the responsibility of the website. Make sure you understand and know what a website/company is going to do with your personal information that you give them prior to entering any information at all.
Let’s continue the conversation below. What do you think? Should we expect privacy online?
