Choose Privacy Week

May 1st-7th is Choose Privacy Week. It's the perfect opportunity to learn about securing your personal information, and it all begins with evaluating how and what you communicate. Most of us maintain a Facebook account, and when we update it, we assume that those updates will be available only to individuals we've added as friends. It's an imperfect system though, even when we select the highest level of privacy under our account settings. Friends can share information with people we don't know. Third party creators of quizzes and applications often require access to one's Facebook account. And how many other sites out there allow you to log in with Facebook? It's convenient, but it's also insecure. A wealth of information is collected and much of this is sold to marketers seeking to sell you products that match your interests and lifestyle, as determined by data you never meant them to have.

Does this mean you should stop using Facebook? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that you should be careful about what you post. You can also help your peers by asking their permission before sharing status updates or responding to a message that is also being sent to another contact.

Facebook is just the beginning. In general, it is best to assume that anything you share over the Internet can be intercepted and read unless it has been encrypted. Websites that require you to share personally identifying information should be making use of encryption software. If you're not sure whether or not a site is secure, look for an "s" after "http" in your address bar.

Try to use different passwords for the sites you use most frequently, and change these often. Be sure to pick something that's easy to remember but difficult to guess. It's always a good idea to use a combination of letters and numbers. 

It's also important to remember that no upstanding company will ever ask for your social security number, password, or other sensitive information via e-mail. If you receive an inquiry along these lines, disregard the e-mail or contact the company directly to verify the request. Identity theft is more common than you think, and it can wreak havoc on a person's life.

These are a few things you can do to protect your personal information, but at some point, you are going to have to share sensitive data with another organization. A good example is the bank. Banks require a social security number to create a new account. Insurance companies and hospitals manage large numbers of accounts containing sensitive information. So do libraries. Those managing these records must promise to keep them secure. Failure to comply can lead to severe repercussions.

This attitude toward privacy hasn't gone unchallenged though. Section 215 of the U.S. Patriot Act of 2001 mandates that libraries turn over to the Federal government the records of patrons being investigated for high crimes. However, the mandate does not require federal agents to show probable cause.

Librarians have been proactive in fighting for legislation that protects the user's right to privacy. Many libraries also keep no record of a user's checkout history. The idea is that democracy functions best when we're all allowed to make our own choices, when we don't have to worry about being judged by our peers or a higher authority.

It's important for everyone to take an interest in privacy, and to remain knowledgeable about the many ways in which it is being threatened in the United States and abroad.

For more information on key issues and resources, visit PrivacyRevolution.Org.