Is Internet Privacy an Oxymoron?

You can find anything on the Internet, which is what makes it such an indispensible tool. And the converse is also true that anything (man or machine) can find you on the Internet. That can be a chilling reminder that privacy is not always what we think it is. Unfortunately for most people, true privacy may already be a thing of the past. This month I’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you choose the level of privacy that fits your lifestyle.

With the rise of social networking, the world has been thrust back into an age old privacy debate. Where does your privacy end and public information begin? The first thing to remember when it comes to computers is that everything gets monitored, recorded, and backed up somewhere. Every website you visit and every email you send leaves a digital trail of bread crumbs that is recorded in browser histories, ISP logs, server logs, and corporate databases. It’s the nature of the beast. The majority of the time this information is used for very benign purposes. But you can’t assume that will always be the case.

Recently both Facebook and Google have come under fire for privacy issues. Facebook’s privacy policy tends to change on a regular basis towards more open and unfettered access to user supplied data. Google has been found in violation of UK data protection laws in the collection of private information from unencrypted wireless access points as part of its Google Street View program. And while these actions are designed to enhance the Facebook and Google experiences, once the door has been opened to your information it’s hard to close again. So what action can you take to safe guard your privacy?

Choose What You Share Carefully

The first rule of thumb it to carefully think through which information you’re willing to share. Whether it’s your date of birth on one website, an address on another, or those photos from college, once the information has been shared you can consider it public. When you consider the power of search engines, the willingness of hackers, and the probability that each company has at least one disgruntled employee you quickly realize that any information you share has a possibility of ending up in the wrong hands. The safe bet is not to share information you do not want to be made public.

Choose Where You Share It

So if you do choose to share information on the Internet the next point to think about is where you’re sharing. When it comes to privacy policies and internal security, not all websites at created equal. Take the time to read the websites privacy statement. And by all means, use well established websites that are in business for the long term. Hackers and spammers are increasingly creating legitimate looking websites designed to harvest your information for their own nefarious purposes.

Find Alternatives to Sharing

If the above to tips don’t slow down your sharing habits, you should really thing about using ‘alternate personas’ for non essential web surfing. For example, most sites that ask for your birth date are really trying to verify that you’re over 18 years old. Entering a date close to your real birth date accomplishes the same purpose without given away key personal details. Another option is to use www.BugMeNot.com to find a community login for sites that require registration. Just enter the url and find a username and password that has already been setup.

In all reality, Privacy is fast becoming nonexistent. But taking steps to control what information is easily accessible is not only a prudent choice, but one that can help you maintain a comfortable level of anonymity which might just be the next best thing.