Online Privacy

Communications and personal information that are posted online are usually accessible to a vast number of people. Yet when personal data exist online, they may be searched, reproduced and mined by advertisers, merchants, service providers or even stalkers. Many users know what may happen to their information, while at the same time they act as though their data are private or intimate. They expect their privacy will not be infringed while they willingly share personal information with the world via social network sites, blogs, and in online communities. The chapters collected by Trepte and Reinecke address questions arising from this disparity that has often been referred to as the privacy paradox. Works by renowned researchers from various disciplines including psychology, communication, sociology, and information science, offer new theoretical models on the functioning of online intimacy and public accessibility, and propose novel ideas on the how and why of online privacy. The contributing authors offer intriguing solutions for some of the most pressing issues and problems in the field of online privacy. They investigate how users abandon privacy to enhance social capital and to generate different kinds of benefits. They argue that trust and authenticity characterize the uses of social network sites. They explore how privacy needs affect users’ virtual identities. Ethical issues of privacy online are discussed as well as its gratifications and users’ concerns. The contributors of this volume focus on the privacy needs and behaviors of a variety of different groups of social media users such as young adults, older users, and genders. They also examine privacy in the context of particular online services such as social network sites, mobile internet access, online journalism, blogs, and micro-blogs. In sum, this book offers researchers and students working on issues related to internet communication not only a thorough and up-to-date treatment of online privacy and the social web. It also presents a glimpse of the future by exploring emergent issues concerning new technological applications and by suggesting theory-based research agendas that can guide inquiry beyond the current forms of social technologies.

The Internet is great—until someone hacks your accounts or otherwise violates your privacy. This expert book provides a thorough and up-to-date overview of the key issues and risks relative to online privacy and explains how to counter those risks with solutions everyone needs to know. Rampant violation of online privacy is a problem of epic proportions—and impossible to stamp out. Online Privacy: A Reference Handbook provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand investigation of the history of and controversies surrounding online privacy. It overviews the most critical issues involving topics such as social networking and online medical records. Along the way, this book shares insights and information from experts active in the field and exposes many misconceptions about what is and isn't considered private in the online world. Authors Dixon and Gellman begin with an overview of online privacy that elucidates why this 21st century issue is so critical. They provide key guideposts throughout the book that allow readers to grasp these complex and ever-changing issues, addressing topics that include what comprises online privacy today, what protections exist in current law, and current challenges in international online privacy. The authors also present practical expert advice, providing measures and strategies that readers can take to protect themselves.

In the wake of the NSA surveillance outcry and ad companies tracking you online, what can you do to protect your privacy when you go online? This collection of stories, tips and guides will help you do just that. It includes in-depth stories that ran on the PBS MediaShift website over the past few years, as well as sections from the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Surveillance Self-Defense Guide, updated for today's environment. There's also a lengthy chapter about using encryption from the Freedom of Press Foundation, written by Micah Lee. Rather than feel helpless, you can help protect yourself in the digital sphere with tips from this important guide.

Increasingly, computers are a part of even the most ordinary and simple aspects of human existence. Computers have changed forever how we work, learn, shop and seek information. They have also, since the 1960s, been programmed to monitor and analyze in various ways the interaction between humans and themselves. The rapid development of the World Wide Web in the 1990s has given new life, direction and urgency to this enterprise. This work describes the myriad ways, benign or malign, in which computers are used to monitor people's use of computers. Four distinct contexts for monitoring are examined: formal learning environments (e.g., educational software); information seeking environments (e.g., online library catalogs); the workplace; and the Internet (e.g., online shopping). Computerized monitoring often is called an invasion of privacy, and the conceptual and ethical dimensions of confidentiality and privacy in virtual environments are explored at length. In addition to providing information about the various computerized monitoring tools and techniques, this work focuses on the broader social, conceptual, ethical and legal implications.

Analysing the legal issues concerning online and Internet privacy, this book covers the historical developments leading to the current state of the law and the relevant legal actions that have helped to shape it. Examined are the leading lawsuits that have asserted invasion of privacy on the Internet, the comparison of the state of the law in the United States with that of its principal trading partners around the world, and enforcement activity by the Federal Trade Commission. Also covered are proposals for new legislation and precedents for drafting a privacy policy that conforms to standards required by United States and international law.

My Online Privacy for Seniors is an exceptionally easy and complete guide to protecting your privacy while you take advantage of the extraordinary resources available to you through the Internet and your mobile devices. It approaches every topic from a senior’s point of view, using meaningful examples, step-by-step tasks, large text, close-up screen shots, and a custom full-color interior designed for comfortable reading. Top beginning technology author Jason R. Rich covers all you need to know to: Safely surf the Internet (and gain some control over the ads you’re shown) Protect yourself when working with emails Securely handle online banking and shopping Stay safe on social media, and when sharing photos online Safely store data, documents, and files in the cloud Secure your entertainment options Customize security on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac Work with smart appliances and home security tools Protect your children and grandchildren online Take the right steps immediately if you’re victimized by cybercrime, identity theft, or an online scam You don’t have to avoid today’s amazing digital world: you can enrich your life, deepen your connections, and still keep yourself safe.