What are some of the government’s approaches to protecting online privacy?
Beyond SOPA: Obama’s Privacy Bill of Rights
The White House has made up a blueprint detailing clear protections for consumers and greater certainty for companies when dealing with online privacy. The 62-page framework for protecting consumer data online was unveiled. Read what all they have included.
Privacy regulators: US and EU will take different approaches
Both the US and EU governments are pushing for new online privacy standards. The main difference is that the U.S. is focusing on enforcement of the privacy promises that companies make while the E.U. will enforce privacy rights even when companies make no promises. Who do you think will take a stronger role in privacy enforcement?
Social Media Role In Police Cases Growing
With more people flaunting their actions and thoughts in the open, social media networks have become a definite go-to for police departments and federal agencies. Roughly 88% of law enforcement agencies claim to have used social media sites with Facebook being the number one used. Does law enforcement have the right to shut down people’s Facebook pages?
Google Promises to Cooperate with Safari-Related Privacy Probes
Last month Google admitted to bypassing the default privacy settings of Apple’s Safari web browser. Google has pledged to cooperate with all probes into their actions that seek to find out if they were in violation of a consent decree they signed with the FTC last year.
In the growing digital age of social media, we’ve seen an increasing number of public scandals involving some pretty big name brands.
In early 2011, Kenneth Cole learned the hard way after sending out a tweet from the company’s corporate handle, jokingly suggesting the uprisings in Egypt were a result of the designer’s new spring collection. Similarly, disaster struck for Southwest Airlines back in 2010 when filmmaker Kevin Smith accused the airline of throwing him off a flight for being “too fat.”
The newest brand to face a very public reputation scandal is the home improvement store, Lowe’s. Lowe’s is facing major criticism for choosing to cut their ads from the show, All-American Muslim, after seemingly succumbing to pressure from a religious group from Florida who accused the store of upholding the “Islamic agenda.”
Following a public outcry over the company’s decision to pull their ads, Lowe’s posted a statement on their Facebook page, addressing their decision-making on the issue. In response, users posted a combination of both outraged and supportive comments on the company’s Facebook post—nearly 15,000 comments, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Can you think of any major companies who were recently involved in PR nightmares like this one? Share your stories with us in the comments below, or on our Facebook page!
Privacy solutions provider TRUSTe recently published findings on the state of privacy policies among some of the web’s top sites.
In an analysis of the top 100 U.S. websites’ privacy policies, TRUSTe found that even though 97 percent of these websites maintain a privacy policy (up from a 14 percent national average back in 1998), often times these policies are written with an elevated, not easily comprehendible vocabulary instead of simple, straightforward language that the average user can understand.
In fact, the article states: “the typical privacy policy is written six grade levels higher than the average U.S. reading level of 8th grade.”
Also, according to their findings, many policies aren’t entirely upfront about their data sharing with third parties. In response, TRUSTe CEO Chris Babel remarked: “Clearly, more work needs to be done to deliver shorter, more accessible privacy policies that can be quickly and easily understood by consumers, so that they have the ability to make choices regarding the sharing of their personal information.”
One eye-opening observation was that just two percent of the websites they analyzed provided mobile device-supported privacy policies, despite privacy being “the number one consumer concern when using mobile applications on smartphones.”
As a consumer, what are your thoughts on some of the privacy policies you’ve encountered when shopping online, signing up for a social network or using a mobile app? Have they been fairly straightforward in your opinion, or was it all Greek to you? Tell us about it either in the comments below, or on our Facebook Wall!
Users Opt for Online Purchasing When Offered Secure Payment Method, Twitter Strengthens Commitment to Privacy & More!
For online reputation, transparency is king
http://gigaom.com/collaboration/reputation-network-2011/
- While the way we perceive online reputation will likely change over the next few years, this blogger points out that one fundamental component will stay consistent: “transparency will always be important.”
With Acquisition, Twitter Signals Intent on Security, Privacy http://www.simplysecurity.com/2011/12/08/with-acquisition-twitter-signals-intent-on-security-privacy/
- This article examines Twitter’s recent investment in Whisper Systems, and highlights how this acquisition seems to suggest the micro-blogging site is stepping up their commitment to data protection and securing users’ online privacy.
Online privacy and security breeds customer confidence
http://www.scmagazineus.com/online-privacy-and-security-breeds-customer-confidence/article/218792/
- TRUSTe CEO Chris Babel delves into the company’s recent privacy survey, “2011 TRUSTe Behavioral Advertising Privacy Research.”
Disruptions: Privacy Fades in Facebook Era
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/privacy-fades-in-facebook-era/
- New York Times writer Nick Bilton shares his personal perspective on the loss of privacy in the age of Facebook.
Four Times More Consumers Consider Mobile Payments Safer Than Credit Cards
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/four-times-more-consumers-consider-mobile-payments-safer-than-credit-cards-2011-12-13
- A recent survey shows as many as 80 percent of people would prefer to make payments online if presented with a safe, secure payment method.
