We have become a society of convenience. We willfully give out personal information for the sake of convenience. While we are enjoying fast and efficient tasks, this convenience is costing individuals plenty when it comes to their privacy and the information they want to keep from others.
When we give this information to others, we have put the 3rd party in a position of trust. We must have faith in the system and believe that the credit card number you just gave out will only be used for your authorized purchase. We must have faith in the system and believe that your name, address, and Social Security number will only be used by the intended party and not by a person who will steal your identity and ruin your credit rating. At other times our faith leads us to cross our fingers and say a prayer.
As you navigate the Internet and different web sites, you may be asked for personal information. A web site might ask for your name, your e-mail address, your date of birth and your social security number. The web site may also ask for a credit card number. Under newly proposed legislation, this is supposed to be a way to confirm that you are not a minor.
Your mouse clicks are tracked on the Internet. When you click on a web site, your activity may be digitally archived. This archived data and activity tracking is known as a cookie. Cookies are used to track a person’s identity, actions, and preferences as you explore the Internet. Many people are not familiar with cookies (Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet, 1998)
There is a big difference between knowingly giving out information about yourself and someone or something investigating who you are, what you do, and what you like. Are cookies and this type of tracking an invasion of privacy? I believe so.
What happens to the information cookies store? There are data aggregating companies who store this information about you. They may sell the information to a marketing company. This marketing company may in turn use this information about you and your preferences to market their products to you directly. Someone somewhere is storing information about you, the personal and private you.
This is a real issue and concern for all. If a company was to combine all your personal information such as your preferences, your buying habits with your credit history, medical and educational information, they may put together a complete package of you. All this can be done, without you even knowing it. Does this make you feel comfortable?