The Issues Of Internet Privacy

• Information gathering when surfing.

  • Do web sites capture information about me without my knowledge when I surf?
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  • Do companies keep my information secure when I register or buy something?
    • Is credit card and other personal information safe being sent over the Internet?� Most sites now use a "Secure Socket Layer (SSL)" connection when collecting that type of information.� This is the "lock" icon that appears in the browser when a secure site is accessed.� This serves 2 function (1) it shows the data is encrypted and (2) the certificate verifies the identity of the web site if the user trusts the certicate authority that issued the certificate.��
  • Can companies gather information about my computer when I load their software?
    • Have software companies put "spyware" that sends information back to the company?� Things like surfing habits, other software loaded on your system, etc. could be captured.� Malicious programs could be placed on your system to allow it to be taken over by remote control or capture other information stored on the computer.� Keystroke monitors can be used to see what users type and circumvent encryption as has been done in an organized crime case.
  • Are Internet 'cookies' violating my privacy or do they make surfing easier?
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  • Do information gathering techniques make it easier and more convenient for me to use the 
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  • Internet or does it violate my privacy?
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  • What is the difference between opt-out and opt-in?
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  • How do all these junk e-mailers get my e-mail address?
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  • Are children vulnerable to privacy invasions when using the Internet?

• Developing personal profiles of users.

  • Can companies compile information about me from different sources and create a profile?�
  • Is profiling good or bad?
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  • Is my Internet provider tracking where I go and selling the information?
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  • Is profiling different on the Internet than in the non-Internet world?
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  • How can prevent continued profiling ("opt-out") if profiling has already been done?
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  • Will the transfer of this type of information affect international commerce?

• Encryption

  • Is my credit card and other person information protected when I shop on the Internet?
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  • Are my Internet communications being captured by others?
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  • Can companies protect sensitive information by using encryption?
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  • Can criminals use encryption to avoid being caught by law enforcement?
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  • Do law enforcers violate my privacy by capturing private information?