Privacy Summary

The Right of Privacy is "the right to be left alone---the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by a free people".  Privacy on the internet is a very controversial issue.  There are many laws reguarding internet privacy; so people agree with them while others argue they are to invasive.  

 

Many systems and companies people interact with take and store personal information from them.  This is called consumer profiling.  Companies can also collect information from web sufers through cookies.  This allows the company to get information about web sufers without the sufer manually putting in information.  Another way marketing firms collect information is by recording personal information through credit card swipes, registering vehicles, store loyalty cards(ex: Stop&Shop card), phone surveys, frequent flier points, etc.  This type of data consumers do not completely consent to submitting information to marketing organizations yet it is not illegal.

 

Marketing databases use this information to find out what a person likes, how they behave and what they like to buy.  The databases then give the general information(not personal) to companies which will adjust their products to fit specific consumers.  When buying online, gathering consumer information works generally in the same way(cookies are used online).  If a consumer clicks on an advertisement it remembers that and then remembers what the consumer bought.  This allows the companies to see how they got the customers interested and what the final result was(which product was bought). 
 

Altogether, companies that can't protect or don't respect customer information have lost business or became defendants in cases.  One good example would be when toysmart.com went chapter 13.  They planned to sell the consumer information list to pay debts yet they had a license with TRUSTe and it violated that agreement.  TRUSTe ultimately protected the list until Walt Disney Company bought the list and retired it.  It is incidents like this that keep internet users away from using websites to purchase items.

 

Discussion Question #3

Q: What benefit can consumer profiling provide to you as a consumer? Do these benefits outweigh the loss of your privacy?

 

A: The benefit of consumer profiling is that buyers are able to shop more efficiently and find products better suited for them.

This benefit does not outweigh the loss of privacy. Some companies collect consumer data and sell it to other companies without the consumer's permission. I would rather spend the time looking for the products I desire and know that my information is being kept secret instead of being sold to companies, rather than having my information possibly sold to companies because a website I visited collected my infomation in hopes of helping me find products I desire.

 

Entrust

 

Entrust is a security expert that provides software solutions that secure digital identities and information for enterprises and governments in 2,000 organizations across 60 countries. Entrust provides security solutions for protection of information, securing online customers, regulatory compliance or large-scale government projects

 

Entrust helps organizations meet or exceed their security goals by providing software solutions that:

• protect digital identities through authentication

• protect information assets through encryption

• create layered security environments and promote efficiency, cost-effectiveness and synergy

 

The benefits of using this software is privacy or extra protection against online predators.