Your Privacy Protection

Recently there was an AOL employee that released search information for over 650,000 search engine users. Steps are being made, including legal pursuits against AOL, to make sure this doesn’t happen again. However, to avoid your information being released Internet Business Law Services provides the following tips:

What should users avoid looking for at a search engine to protect their privacy?
The World Privacy Forum advises search engine users to refrain from using as search terms full legal names and identity card numbers because the search engine will retain the information for a long time and may release the data accidentally or in response to a court order. If users want to make sure that their names are not associated with their identity card numbers anywhere in the Internet, the WPF advises searching for their names only together with the last four digits of their identity card numbers. Users should never type a password as a search term for the same reason, the WPF says, adding that those users, who have already done so, should change these passwords immediately because an individual having access to search queries may use the information mischievously.

Which tools may users use to detach computer addresses from sensitive search terms?
To detach computer addresses from sensitive search terms, the WPF says, users rely on anonymizing tools or proxies, paid or free services that shield a computer’s address from search engines. Even when using these tools, the WPF warns, users should not exchange passwords or sensitive financial data unless they are certain of the source of the proxy server.

What other steps should users take to avoid being tracked?
To avoid being tracked, the WPF adds, users should delete search engine cookies or files that track Internet users’ preferences for marketing purposes; use different search engines to do research, exchange e-mails and read news so that one search engine may not correlate all this information; and change search location and IP addresses every so often. However, users who sign up to read e-mail at a search engine and later conduct a search leave a trace of that information in that location.

What about purchase information? Is it also correlated to search data?
Users also have to worry about the correlation of search and purchase information. To avoid this association, the WPF says users should use for instance the generic Amazon search engine, also known as A9.com, rather than the one in the online store. Users should also worry about personal computer hygiene and reset their browsers regularly. For obvious reasons, the WPF concludes search engine users should avoid conducting embarrassing searches.

To read the full article go to Internet Business Law Services -INTERNET LAW - WPF UPDATES GUIDELINES TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF SEARCH ENGINE USERS. Also be sure to check out the tools we recommend to protect your private information.

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