If you’ve clicked on any website lately, and I do mean any website, you’ve probably seen that they have updated their privacy policy and they really want you to read it. The update is usually plastered in your face with a prompt that requires you to click on it in order to go about your business surfing the web.
Why are websites so adamant about sharing their shiny new update with you? Why are they all updating their privacy policies at the same time? Why should I even care?
Here’s what you need to know about privacy policies, why they’re important, and why everyone is seemingly updating them in a panic.
What is a privacy policy?
You have probably heard of privacy policies before, even if you’ve never read one. Just having one seemed like enough for most websites to build trust with their visitors, even though most people didn’t know what it meant. After all, the word privacy does sound nice, doesn’t it? Well, we didn’t really know what we were getting into when we were surfing the web even just a few years ago.
Today, privacy policies on the web are a big deal. They are legal statements, and in some case, an actual legal document, that shares information about how a website gathers, uses, discloses and manages visitor information. Its primary goal is to protect the person who visits a website, but it’s also meant to inform visitors.
Why you should care
The real question is why you should care. After all, there are a million things vying for your attention on the web, and in your already busy life, why should you bother to check out a website’s privacy policy?
The fact that this blog article is listed on our identity theft blog page should give you a hint. Any time you provide information on a website, that website gets to keep it forever, and that information could be used against you.
On some websites, it still doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, it’s not like you’re going around entering your address or social security number on every website you visit. You’re just giving your name and maybe a birthday. Sometimes you don’t provide any information at all!
It’s true that sites gather a wide range of data that can include:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Marital status
- Contact information
- Financial records
- Credit information
Some websites today go even further than that. Ever get that message about cookies when you open a website? That means that website is storing a small file on your computer that outlines your past behavior on that website, learning your habits and interests as the file is updated.
What’s that website doing with all that information? In some cases, it could be sold to third parties who can then use your information any way they want. That doesn’t even get into what could happen if a hacker gains access to the site and what they could do with your information.
That’s a big deal if you provide your financial information to a website, but what if you don’t? Someone can still learn a lot about you by piecing together seemingly benign information about your life. For example, with your name, hometown, and marital status, a hacker could start piecing together ideas of what your password might be.
It’s really just about being safe on the web. You wouldn’t give out your address to a stranger you met on the street all willy-nilly, so why would you be so forthcoming with your information on the web? A privacy policy can help you determine what information of yours is being collected and how it’s being used so you can make an informed decision about whether you should be using that site on a regular basis.
Why everyone is updating their privacy policy
That’s all fine and dandy, but why is everyone so intent on shouting their new privacy policy from the rooftops? Sure, it makes sense for financial institutions and online stores, but why is that blog you read prompting you to read their privacy policy?
Do you remember that huge Facebook data breech that was in the news recently? It enabled a third party, Cambridge Analytica, to harvest user data even though users didn’t know their data was being harvested in that way. On a platform like Facebook where people share a lot of personal information about themselves, it’s a big deal.
Well, other websites want you to know what they’re doing to protect your data. Even websites that don’t actually collect data from you are creating privacy policies to share the fact that they aren’t in an effort to gain the trust of their visitors.
Being informed is really what it’s all about. It’s always worth your time to dive into a site’s privacy policy if you are providing them with any personal information about yourself. Avoid interacting with sites that communicate with third parties and be smart about what kind of information you provide to whom. That way you can reduce your chances of identity theft, experiencing unwanted marketing efforts, and decrease the number of spammy messages that end up in your inbox.
