Are you concerned about your privacy and safety online? You should be. There are few laws that guard your privacy, especially in the United States, and even fewer that guard it online. Some simple precautions can help protect you.
- Determine how public you want to be on the Internet. If you want to be easily found by friends, colleagues and others with common interests, you may want to include things such as your name and e-mail address in public directories. Be careful about the other information you make available through such lists. Only join lists that let you determine which information is displayed to others.
- If you use an Internet Service Provider, such as AOL, which sets up a profile containing your information, check your profile and remove any information you don't want published. Think twice before including seemingly innocuous items such as your interests or hobbies.
- Don't provide optional information when filling in forms.
- Read privacy policies carefully. Don't shop with vendors who don't have a privacy policy. Check out your Internet Service Provider's privacy policy and policy on selling address lists, and switch providers if you're not satisfied.
- Before entering online competitions, promotions or signing up for freebies (such as free e-mail accounts) check what information you have to give away in return.
- If your privacy is invaded or you are stalked or harassed online, keep a log of all relevant activity, including e-mail, chat logs, newsgroup postings. From the very first message, create a folder to store all logs and posts. Don't delete anything.
- Choose online nicknames carefully. Even if you don't talk in a chat room, your name is displayed onscreen and other participants can check whatever details are associated with your screen name.
- Check out the information provided in the links in Online Privacy & Safety Resources.