With the advent of the Internet and the explosion of social networks among users, a concern that grows is our caution regarding the privacy of our online data.
Privacy and safety help to build confidence in the new technologies and helps to ensure real control over our information.
In the new era we live in, the data is considered “the golden egg of the digital economy”. At the same time, users, the content generators on the Internet, the raw material of the network, are increasingly aware of the crucial importance of protecting their personal information, and ensuring new companies online security services maintain their privacy.
To this end, some companies like Mozilla have been at the forefront of the protection of personal data of users. This open-source company, considered one of the safest companies regarding data privacy, has implemented policies and models of private browsing history, custom settings and the ability to turn off tracking.
Privacy on Social Networks.
Our data protection is becoming a major headache for users on the Internet, especially when sharing content on the main social networks. Where all the information on our network goes? our photos , our statements and comments? Are there registered somewhere?
This problem is exacerbated in the case of minors, since in many cases they shared this information with all the innocence and good faith, regardless of the impact it might have to cybercriminals bento on stealing their online identity.
On Facebook, for example, you can select what information is shared, and above all, with whom. However, overall our profile data (name, sex, and networks you belong to) are generally accessible to the public, unless we restrict the criteria about how others can find us.
Another tool that uses this network is the possibility of others tagging us on images, and other privacy control of applications and websites associated with Facebook. However, the use of the classic “Like” can provide more information than you actually think. According to a study published in the journal PNAS in collaboration with Cambridge University, could associate key elements of our personality and our tastes in this network, which would allow “tracking” pretty straightforward from our private data.
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This control and privacy concerns were primary objectives in the launch of Google+ , which you can always choose who you want to share the information we publish , depending on the circles that we have among our contacts (Family , Friends , Acquaintances , Followers ).
Moreover, Twitter is a public liability, essentially when we share tweets are usually public for all users (unless we use the option to keep them private). Depending on the use of this network, it is preferable that we watch what we share to prevent the crawling of our identity and daily routine.
Administrations are taking steps in this direction as they become increasingly aware of the need to protect networking safety and the privacy of users. In the United States, for example, the violation of these warranties may involve fines of up to $16,000 per day for failure. The audit of these companies, especially those that handle such personal information is the key to ensure respect for the rights of users.
It is not enough just to “read and accept “policies to protect our personal data in the network. New technologies are also making great efforts to ensure security on the network. This has led to the development of several applications that help us maintain our privacy and safekeeping. MyPermissions, for example, helps us to tightly control the information social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Flickr, LinkedIn or Instagram, etc.) have access to, giving alerts when websites or other apps gain access to our personal information.
There are other systems, in the form of extensions for Chrome, such as Palette or Privacy Fix, which help monitor the information we share through privacy permissions. Among other tasks, these applications can also serve as a tool to block unwanted advertising.
The unstoppable growth of the Internet and social media has led to a revolution in the way we understand our personal relationships, work or social activities. The great advantages that the new technologies give us should not be undermined at any time for the safety issues associated. Ensuring privacy will be the key to continue receiving the approval of the users and the authorities, and assist the arrival of future technologies.