Comparing websites' privacy policies...

Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Matt Bury -
Number of replies: 7
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Hi Moodlers!

I'm looking into privacy on the web which I think is of particular interest to anyone involved in elearning since we often require teachers, researchers, admins and learners to use the web as part of their work and studies: It's one thing to opt-in to certain websites but it's quite another to be threatened with poor grades or disciplinary measures if you refuse.

Here's a comparison of privacy policies:

Google: http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy/privacy-policy.html

vs.

Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/policy

I think it's quite enlightening to see them side by side!

Matt

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In reply to Matt Bury

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Matt Bury -
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Wow, just looked at Facebook's: http://www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy

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In reply to Matt Bury

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Glenys Hanson -

Hi Matt and everybody,

I'm a little worried about this sort of thing too.

I've signed up to Taco and Wot. But I don't know if I'm leaping out of the frying pan into the fire.

Do you know?

Cheers,

Glenys

In reply to Glenys Hanson

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Matt Bury -
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Hi Glenys,

As far as defending yourself as an individual goes, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are leading the way, as far as I know. They've produced this very informative guide: https://ssd.eff.org/

In reply to Matt Bury

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Glenys Hanson -

Hi Matt,

That's a very interesting site but its main objective, I quote, is:

"Here are some examples of the kinds of adversaries that may pose a threat to your digital privacy and security:

  1. U.S. government agents that follow laws which limit their activities
  2. U.S. government agents that are willing and able to operate without legal restrictions
  3. Foreign governments
  4. Civil litigants who have filed or intend to file a lawsuit against you
  5. Companies that store or otherwise have access to your data
  6. Individual employees who work for those companies
  7. Hackers or organized criminals who randomly break into your computer, or the computers of companies that store your data
  8. Hackers or organized criminals that specifically target your computer or the computers of the companies that store your data
  9. Stalkers, private investigators or other private parties who want to eavesdrop on your communications or obtain access to your machines

This guide focuses on defending against threats from the first adversary — government agents that follow the law — but the information herein should also provide some help in defending against the others." (My numbering and text in bold.)

But as a very unimportant woman who is not a US citizen and doesn't have "sensitive data", it's adverseries 5 and 7 that worry me.

I don't imagine anyone is out to get me or the sites I run personally, it's the random attacks of bots that I fear - one of my sites (when I was not admin) was hacked twice. Once with scenes of violence which upset a number of users. I already follow the sensible advice https://ssd.eff.org/ recommends about Passwords.  However, my Moodle site is regularly subject to "brute force" attacks - though don't they get anywhere. (My admin name and password are not "admin" wink.)

Am I just a nervous nelly?

Cheers,

Glenys

In reply to Glenys Hanson

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Matt Bury -
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Hi Glenys,

Yes, the EFF focuses mainly on law enforcements' and other govt. departments' abuses of power. The same is possibly more true of teachers and learners in other countries with less transparent regimes.

What I find more worrying is the issue you and Visvanath highlighted about private companies having and controlling our personal data and web histories. When aggregated, it's powerful stuff and can be used in all kinds of devious and immoral ways - The ways of market forces that use ideas like the "invisible hand" and "amorality" as excuses to commit immoral acts as we can see in US and European politics at the moment.

I've just finished co-authoring a blog article on the subject: http://blog.matbury.com/2011/12/11/a-thorny-issue-protecting-teachers-and-learners-right-to-privacy/ Hopefully, it provides some more practical advice and raises awareness.

In reply to Matt Bury

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Guido Gautsch -

An interesting TED talk by Eli Pariser on Google, Facebook and how they use filtering to display data to you, based on the information they harvested from you (not you specifically, Matt, of coursewink)

Joyce Seitzinger linked to it on her Twitter feed so you may have seen it already, but it's worth watching if you haven't already:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

Cheers,

Guido

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In reply to Matt Bury

Re: Comparing websites' privacy policies...

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Apparantly 800 million (!) terrestrials deposited their privacy at FaceBook making it 100 billion dollars worth. My math says the value of a single soul must be around 125 bucks.
sad