Colin Wilkinson - Everything You Need to Know about Digital Privacy

Published in 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2018 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wilkinson, Colin, 1977 author.

Title: Everything you need to know about digital privacy / Colin Wilkinson.

Description: New York : Rosen Publishing, 2018. | Series: The need to know library | Audience: Grades 712. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017002119| ISBN 9781508174004 (library-bound) | ISBN 9781508173984 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781508173991 (6-pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Internet and teenagersJuvenile literature. | Privacy, Right ofJuvenile literature. | Computer securityJuvenile literature. | InternetMoral and ethical aspectsJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC HQ799.2.I5 W55 2018 | DDC 004.67/80835

dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017002119

Manufactured in the United States of America

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

LIVING ONLINE

CHAPTER TWO

YOUR DATA, YOUR PEACE OF MIND

CHAPTER THREE

A MODERN APPROACH TO PRIVACY PROTECTION

CHAPTER FOUR

RECOVERING FROM PRIVACY CRIMES

CHAPTER FIVE

TAKING ACTION

GLOSSARY

FOR MORE INFORMATION

FOR FURTHER READING

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

A fter hearing of a new movie becoming available on the streaming service Netflix, a friend of yours decides to sign up so you both can watch it. To create an account, he needs to use an accessible email address that can respond to any activation notices. The friend needs to enter a password to access the service. Finally, your friend provides information for a parents credit card, including the billing address. Once the friend finishes creating the account, he can also spend some time selecting preferences and adding movies to the list to watch later.

In the span of ten minutes, Netflix has been provided with a large amount of personal information. The company now has payment info, including credit card, name, and address, on file to bill the subscription. It also stores an email address and a password. Thats not all, however. Netflix also knows what types of content your friend prefers to watch, when he watches, what devices are used to watch, and where he is watching from. All of this information is stored and analyzed to provide Netflix subscribers quick access to the movies and shows theyre most likely to watch.

Your friend provided this information willingly, and Netflix is a trustworthy service, but what if this were a less reputable website? How would your friends actions and willingness to register for an account differ? Is there a privacy policy, and did your friend read it? There is no way to know for certain if Netflix, or any other site, stores the provided information securely. Its possible that a site might gather and sell usage information, which other agencies can use to market their services. Consider that most interactions made online employ similar tracking techniques, often without the user realizing it. Apps and websites that may not accept billing information can still gain access to personally identifiable information. They might use your tracked data to make educated guesses as to how and when you will use their service and what ads it should show when you do.

Data tracking apps like Google Analytics gather and evaluate insights on how people interact with websites, apps, and even the world around them.

Every year, our consumption of online media takes new shapes, and this consumption is increasingly interactive. What one might assume is a passive, one-sided experience has fostered a big industry of data tracking and analysis. Whether its navigating a website, messaging a friend over a social network, using an app on your phone, or making a purchase, someone out there is interested in what you are doing. While much of this data is stored and used anonymously, and with good intent, there are those who would use it nefariously to steal information about credit cards, online accounts, or even identities.

As fast as the technology we rely on to make our lives more mobile and convenient advances, so too do the tools for using it safely and privately. The dangers that exist are why it is important to explore what it means to take part in todays digital world, know how data is recorded, and proactively work to keep it safe. There should be a plan for when these safety checks fail and how to recover from digital privacy intrusion.

CHAPTER ONE

LIVING ONLINE

T odays internet has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the early to mid-1980s. Although the groundwork for the internet can be traced back to efforts as early as the 1960s, home access wasnt available until much later: it wasnt until the mid-1990s that dial-up access became commonplace across America. In fact, the number of Americans subscribing to an online service provider more than doubled from 1994 to 1995. In just a few short years after that, more than half the country was accessing the internet regularly.

At the same time, online shopping was beginning to emerge. As early as 1994, the internet provided users the ability to make purchases without having to leave the house or pick up the phone.

Many online activities had their start way back then, if not before: chat rooms and forums, news and gossip sites, online games, and eventually social sharing services quickly became popular with the online community. Seemingly overnight, the world became connected and was sharing information at a level never seen before.

Today, the internet reaches beyond computers to mobile and wearable devices, appliances, and cars. A connection no longer requires a phone line, and many urban areas provide free Wi-Fi. Cell towers create a web across the landscape to maintain a continuous connection. There are structures in place to keep these tools safe, including privacy measures users can control, and they evolve just as quickly as technology does.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Defining and enforcing what privacy means today includes considering how were accessing the internet, whether thats from a computer or smartphone or television, what were choosing to do online, and what agreements we make with the businesses with which we interact. In an average day, one might check the weather online to decide what to wear, listen to some streamed music while on the bus, and send a text message to a friend or parent to plan an after-school activity. While in school, one might look up a reference from a computer in the schools library, and later, one might end the day watching a streaming service, playing an online game with friends, or chatting on a favorite social network all without considering just how much information is shared to make those connections rewarding.

As more of our lives are being spent online, we create more opportunities to be exposed to cyberbullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, and similar malicious attacks. Younger generations spend more time socializing online than adults, a trend that is likely to continue. Maintaining a healthy approach to living online requires attentiveness on the part of the individual. While laws do exist to protect users, they can be challenging to police.