A privacy policy should describe and give specific details about how a Web site gathers information and how that information is disseminated. The Web site should put a link to their privacy policy on the home page where it is easy to find, and if the Web site shares information with a third party, you should be made aware of that and given the opportunity to restrict such use.27
One of the major problems facing consumers is that many of them do not read the privacy policies of the various web sites and many consumers might not even realize that each Web site has or should have a privacy policy. While researching this topic, I informally asked 45 adults if they read the privacy policies on the various web sites that they visited, and they all said “No.” Fifteen of them said they knew the policies were there, but they just did not read them. The other 25 said they never paid attention to the site for that type of information. I asked my students if they knew about privacy policies on the Internet, and they did not have any idea what I was talking about. Obviously, consumers need to be educated for their own protection.
If you do know about privacy policies, what should you be looking for that will protect your rights? As the EPIC report states, privacy policies can be confusing, incomplete and inconsistent.
In researching this unit, I have read a lot of privacy policiessome good, some not so good. Many of them tell you why personal information is collected, how it is used, what information is shared with their partners or sponsors (although they do not tell you who their partners or sponsors are), and what non-identifying information is shared with online advertisers (third parties). Some will tell you that they track your movements using cookies. Some were cagey enough to say they do not use cookies, but that they do track you (the question is-- How?). As I mentioned in the section called “Cookies,” a site will tell you that they use cookies; but they won’t tell you that they may form an alliance with other sites to read their cookies. Other important information that was explained in some privacy policies and not in others was: the ability to update or correct personal information, the security measures that they have in place to protect your information, that they do make revisions to their privacy policies, how you can receive information about updated services or products, and the opportunity to opt-out or opt-in to supplying certain information about yourself.
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. . . many Web sites follow an “opt-out” policy, in which information about a site visitor is automatically collected unless the visitor specifically requests it not be.28
Last but certainly not least, a statement telling you that no transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Even though companies strive to protect your personal information, you transmit information to them at your own risk. Once that information is received, they will do their best to secure it.29
It all boils down to you, the consumer, deciding what information you want to supply to these Web sites for the services or products you want to receive. Although the privacy policies may not be perfect, they do provide you with much needed information to make an informed decision.