Transcript Web Site Privacy: How Much Should We Worry?

Web Site Privacy: How Much
Should We Worry?
By: Aaron Johansen
Agenda
 Summary of Case
 Main reasons for NO privacy policies
 Online Privacy Alliance
 Answer Case Questions
Summary of Case
Volunteer personal
information
 No control over what
sites do with
information
 “Cookies”
 Acxiom Corp.collected data on 176
million individuals

“Follow more closely
than the U.S. Gov.”
 Locate good sales
prospects or target
repeat customers
 AIDS
 Organizations trying
to stop online
invasions of privacy

Reasons for NO privacy policy
 Cost
 Revenue Loss
 Have to hire auditors or experts
 Whole redesign of website
Online Privacy Alliance
 Notify visitors of data collection
practices
 Give visitors the choice of opting out of
the site collecting personal data
 Give visitors access to their own
personal data
 Assure visitors that their personal data
is secure
Is Web site privacy a serious
problem? Why or why not?
 Don’t know what companies will do with our
information
 Sell information to other companies
 “Cookies” - collecting data we don’t know
about
 Companies make profits on our information
What are the gains for the Web-based businesses if they
collect, use, sell, and disseminate information on their
visitors or use it in ways not approved by the visitor?
 Profits
 Increased revenue
 Locate good sales prospects
 Target repeat customers
Apply an ethical analysis to the issue of
Web site visitors’ privacy rights.
 Unethical-to sell information without
customers consent
 Unethical-deny jobs based on web sites
visited
 Unethical-to use “cookies”
 Ethical-to collect data
Should Web sites be allowed to collect information
on their visitors that is not voluntarily provided?
 No
 Companies should have to notify visitors of
all data collection practices
 Give visitors access to their own personal
data
 See exactly what information has been
gathered
How should Web site privacy be promoted? What
role should the Gov. play? What role should private
business play? What role should technology play?
 Visually on all company website
 Gov. - regulate the selling of personal data
 Businesses - should always have a privacy
policy
 Technology - eliminate “cookies”
Any Questions