Online privacy through the looking glass: Part 3

On the last article, we examined which Internet activities reveal your personal information and how others get information about your online activities. For Part 3, we will be discussing ways on how to protect yourself in a public Internet environment.

As one blogger said: “This privacy debate is about a particular type of privacy – one that focuses on individuals’ control of information about themselves. It’s what I call “Public Privacy.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez captured the spectrum of our personal lives and Public Privacy’s place in them when he said, “Everyone has three lives. A public life, a private life and a secret life.” Public Privacy allows for the existence of all three of these lives. Without it, we are left with the binary choice of absolute publicity or absolute secrecy. Public Privacy is the connective tissue between our public and secret lives. It allows us to make more appropriate decisions about the use of our data based on given circumstances.”

Ideally, the debate about privacy requires more than just industry and regulators. It should include educated consumers, transparent data processing practices by both industry and state, and a government willing to balance innovation and consumer experimentation with consumer protection.

Consumers have a choice. They can throw up their hands, pretend tough choices don’t have to be made and join the “privacy is dead” crowd. Or they can increasingly engage industry and regulators, help answer some of the tough questions, and demand more control over their data.

The good news is we are starting to see this happen. People are becoming more proactive. For example, at Carnegie Mellon University, a group is working on what it calls “privacy nudges.” The goal is to design software that essentially sits over your shoulder and provides real-time reminders — short on-screen messages — that the information you’re about to send has privacy implications. “It learns, helps you and occasionally prompts you,” said Lorrie Faith Cranor, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon. “When we go online, there are a lot of ways we can inadvertently give up our privacy.” 

At Princeton, Edward W. Felten, a computer scientist, wants to re-engineer the Web browser for greater privacy. A key, he says, is to alter the software’s design so that information about on-screen viewing sessions is kept separate and not routinely passed along so a person’s browsing behavior can be tracked.

I know that these are more advanced and innovative takes on protecting online privacy, but know that we can also do our own part in staying safe and protecting ourselves online. Here are some easy steps to follow:

1. Be careful to whom you give your information .
Avoid giving out personal information such as your name, address, telephone number or other personal information on websites until you read and understand their privacy policy. For example, be on guard for online promotions or contests in which you may be asked to provide details about yourself. This information could be used to market to you in the future. Never give out your Social Security number or passwords online, unless you are certain the site is secure.

2. Know you're being watched .
Be careful of the e-mails you send and the websites you visit while at work. In most states in the U.S., employees are exempt from protection by employers who may be monitoring e-mails and internet use while on the job.

3. Don't reply to spam.
Ever get one of those strange, unexpected e-mails for real estate, weight loss, work-at-home or investment opportunities? Your best bet is to delete those e-mails without opening them. Never reply to these e-mails, even to request they remove your name from their lists. Replying will alert the sender that your e-mail is a "live" e-mail attached to an actual person. 

4. Use secured websites.
Before you purchase a product or service online with a credit card, make sure the connection is secure or encrypted. Look for a small lock icon on the website, or look at the URL address line; a secure connection will begin with https:// ("s" for secured) instead of http://

5. Beware of public wireless access.
Don't send personal or confidential information when using public wireless connections in cafes and other public places. Fellow wireless users could potentially monitor what you are doing only a few feet away.

6. Think before you post.
Avoid revealing personal information or photos on websites such as Facebook, MySpace or SecondLife. Personal or embarrassing information and images can haunt you in years to come, like when you are applying for college or a new job. If it's on the internet, it's available for a potential employer, your school, a future or current spouse, your mother or grandmother to find it.

7. Beware of classified listing meet-ups.
When using websites such as Craigslist or Freelist to buy or exchange goods locally, always bring someone you trust with you to meet the seller/buyer. Be cautious about letting strangers into your home or meeting in unsafe places.

8. Watch your cookies.
Cookies are tidbits of information that websites store on your computer. Some cookies are useful, such as those that store information about you so you don't have to retype info every time you go to that site. Other cookies are used to track your motions through a website. Some companies keep this data for their own usages - however, some sell your information to other marketers. You can monitor and edit the cookies on your computer through your browser.

9. Use anti-spyware
Spyware is sneaky software that rides its way onto computers during the download of screensavers, games, music and other applications. Spyware sends information about what you're doing on the internet to a third-party, usually to target you with pop-up ads. Anti-spyware will help block this threat.

10. Monitor your kids' internet use.
Move computers out of the bedroom and into family space where parents and others can check on a child's internet use by simply walking by. Set specific times that your child may surf the web, and set rules about social media websites, such as Facebook, My Space and Twitter.