Lotame is a behavior targeter focused on social networks, like Facebook. The information that Lotame and other similar companies gather is considered anonymous because it identifies web browsers, not individuals. However, aggregating data from multiple sources means companies can easily create a detailed profile of a user that many privacy experts believe can actually identify… Read More
eXelate Media is a company that collects and sells web data on consumers. EXelate has been criticized for linking web-surfing habits with personal data, since this crosses a major privacy line. eXelate gathers consumer data from hundreds of websites and can determine a consumer’s demographic information and web habits using cookies. Though eXelate claims its… Read More
File sharing is the process of sharing computer data or space in a computer network. It also can mean sharing files in a network. File sharing allows people to use the same file or files. P2P (Peer 2 Peer) software allows users to share files via the Internet. After P2P software is installed, computers are… Read More
The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) develops standards for online advertising. It is an industry trade group which was formed in 1999. This group was created by advertisers because of concerns from the Federal Trade Commission and consumer groups that online advertising was harming user privacy. The NAI creates guidelines for participating advertisers and advertising networks… Read More
Like all search engines, Google’s search results contain information that is publicly available on the Internet. Google cannot remove content directly from the Internet. While it’s possible to remove content from display in Google’s search results, this would still leave the original content as it exists on the Internet. If you want to remove something… Read More
Firewall software is a group of security protocols designed to keep malicious code and hackers out of your computer. A firewall protects your laptop from Internet traffic entering in or information leaking out. While antivirus software scans emails and files, a firewall acts as a guard dog, keeping your system safe from unauthorized entry. It… Read More
Patches are software that fix problems or issues with a computer program. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance. Most software, browsers, and operating systems have features that allow them to be updated automatically when connected to the Internet. When an Internet connection is established, these programs prompt… Read More
Google’s new privacy policy changes have many privacy advocates up in arms. It begs the question: does our personal information belong to us or the corporations that collect it? Instead of being forced to adhere to these data collection rules in order to use a popular product, shouldn’t we insist that companies give us the option to allow or deny them permission to track and store our personal information? What happens if hackers get ahold of this information?
Read on for more information about Google’s new privacy policies.
If you care about Facebook using your personal information in their advertisements, and want to opt out, check out this article. It explains a few new worries with the social media giant, including its “social ads” program.
Make sure you protect your privacy while conducting an online job search. The following sections describe what steps you can take to ensure your privacy. 1. Don’t include a lot of personal contact information (name, address, phone numbers) on your resume This might make it a little more difficult for an employer to reach you,… Read More
