Certain types of information can be gathered from you "invisibly" without
you being aware of it, such as: 1) Your IP Address (the address given
to your PC by your ISP whenever you log on). 2) The type of PC you Have
3) The Browser you are using 4) Operating System you're running 5) Domain
Registered Name
With more and more sites gathering information it's more important then
ever to implement your own privacy policy and to be aware of others policy
when giving them your information. A privacy policy is a statement or
article that spells out what you do with any personal data collected by
your Web site. Although not mandatory it is a good idea to implement one
on your site if you collect any kind of personal data from visitors to
your website. A privacy policy also will make your site guests feel more
comfortable sharing their information with you knowing you won't sell
it to the highest bidder.
So what components make up a privacy policy?
- Clearly state what information you are collecting and if you share
it with any third parties.
- Give a way for site visitors to change any information given now,
at a later date.
- Clearly state how you are storing the collected information.
- Information on how to opt out of any future mailings from your
company.
- If your site uses cookies this must be disclosed.
Use simple wording in your policy not high tech language, and don't collect
any information that you really don't need. It's important to keep up
on any new laws regarding privacy policies in case you need to modify
it later on. If you need help creating a policy you can use Truste's online
wizard at http://www.truste.org/wizard/.
This will give you a good starting base and you can edit the final product
to fit your site's needs. After creating it make sure you link to it from
every page on your site.
If you think that implementing a privacy policy isn't important take
a look at these stats gathered by Forrester Research:
90% of online consumers want to control how their personal information
is being used.
67% of consumers have reservations about giving out personal information
online.
The government is trying to stay out of passing mounds of regulations
on privacy issues preferring "self regulation" instead. In 1998 they did
pass (COPPA) "The Children's Online Privacy Act" making it mandatory that
sites reveal how they deal with information received from miners without
parental consent. European countries are much more strict when it comes
to Internet Privacy Laws then the US. If you do create a privacy policy
and use the information collected in a different manner then stated in
that policy, you may be held liable by the FTC aka The Federal Trade Commission.
This type of deception violates the FTC Act, and is a very serious offense.
So if you implement a policy make sure you stick to what it says.
So how do you protect yourself? First by being aware that every move
you make online may be recorded. Secondly, always read a site's privacy
policy so you know what's being done with the information you do provide,
if any. If you'd like to keep sites from gathering "invisible information"
about you such as your IP address, operating system, etc., you may want
to look into an anonymous browsing service which conceals your identity
while surfing. Check out:
http://www.anonymizer.com/
http://www.privada.net/
http://www.freedom.net/
If you'd like to find out if a certain site has a privacy policy in
place surf over to:
http://www.enonymous.com
http://www.privacyratings.org
Many of the privacy site leaders offer a privacy seal program.
If after creating your policy you think it has what it takes to
be certified, check out: http://www.truste.org/
http://www.enonymous.com/
http://www.secureassure.com
http://bbbonline.com/businesses/privacy/guide.html
Becoming certified is an added plus for any commercial Web site and will
help alleviate any fear of sharing information on the part of your website
guests. Remember, the temptation for Web site owners to sell personal
information to third parties is high online due to the demand for that
information by advertisers. Make sure you're doing your part by being
aware of who you're giving your information to, and knowing what they
are doing with it.
