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Twitter Chat Sponsored by ITRC and PRIVATE WiFi Raises Awareness of Public WiFi Dangers

Posted on Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 by

Earlier this month, PRIVATE WiFi and The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) co-hosted the monthly ID Theft Twitter Chat. The ITRC hosts these monthly events in an effort to engage consumers in discussion about the issues surrounding identity theft. As the ITRC believes that cyber security is an important part of protecting from identity theft, the issue of public WiFi is of of utmost importance. Many of the participants felt as strongly about the risks of WiFi usage and there was a lot of great input.

Read on to discover the highlights of the chat. Read More

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Privacyfix: Locking Down How Google and Facebook Profit From Our Data

Posted on Tuesday, October 16th, 2012 by

Have you heard about Privacyfix?

If this string of tweets on the day it launched is any indication, the Privacyfix extension may be the solution to some of our biggest privacy worries when it comes to Google, Facebook, and online tracking.

“Default privacy settings on sites like Facebook are revenue- driven, not privacy-driven,” explains PrivacyFix founder Jim Brock. “Privacyfix puts you back in control of your data.” Read More

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FTC, Facebook Settle Online Privacy, Deceptive Advertising Dispute

Posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2012 by

Ever had the frustrating experience of discovering your so-called “private” photo album on Facebook has been made public for all the world to see? Well, here’s a bit of good news.

On Friday afternoon, the Federal Trade Commission finally reached its long-awaited privacy settlement with Facebook, resolving charges that Facebook deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public.

This concludes a long saga between the FTC and Facebook, and although Facebook admitted no wrong-doing, the FTC pressed on with its case for months. What were some of the privacy offenses? Read More

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Findings from The ITRC’s Parenting and Social Media Study

Posted on Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 by

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) recently conducted a survey which attempted to measure the actions and level of concern parents have in relation to their children’s social media activity.  This study was conducted in order to better understand how aware parents are of the potential dangers social media pose to their children, and how adept they are in their attempts to keep their children safe. Read More

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Ask the Expert: Twitter Opts In to Allowing You to Opt Out

Posted on Monday, June 4th, 2012 by

Q: “I recently heard that Twitter was implementing the Do Not Track feature for its users. This sounds good, but I don’t really know much about it. Can you tell me more about Do Not Track?”

Twitter should be applauded for putting our privacy before their profits.

While the Do Not Track feature is not the only thing we should be using to protect our online privacy, it’s important that a social media company like Twitter supports robust privacy tools. The Do Not Track feature is one of those tools.

First, let’s take a look at the Do Not Track feature and its pros and cons. Read More

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Should You Share Your Social Media Passwords with a Potential Employer?

Posted on Monday, April 16th, 2012 by

Would you ever share your Facebook or Twitter login information if a potential employer asked for it? What if you getting the job depended on it?

According to the Associated Press, more and more employers are asking for this information from job applicants so they access the applicant’s social media accounts from company computers.

Most of the time, security and government agencies are the ones asking for social media login information. If you’re applying for this type of job, you probably aren’t expecting a lot of personal privacy. Read More

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Ask the Expert: Does Secure Browsing Really Keep Me Safe On Twitter and LinkedIn?

Posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2012 by

Q: I have an active Twitter feed and occasionally use LinkedIn for work purposes, but I am unfamiliar with how those sites secure my privacy. I read that both sites have introduced “secure browsing” but what exactly does that mean, and how is it keeping me safer?

A: A secure website has “https” in its URL and has a small lock symbol next to it. It’s used by most banks and online retailers to provide secure transactions. Read More

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Ask the Expert: What You Should Know About Google’s New Privacy Policies

Posted on Monday, March 5th, 2012 by

Google’s new privacy policy changes have many privacy advocates up in arms. It begs the question: does our personal information belong to us or the corporations that collect it? Instead of being forced to adhere to these data collection rules in order to use a popular product, shouldn’t we insist that companies give us the option to allow or deny them permission to track and store our personal information? What happens if hackers get ahold of this information?

Read on for more information about Google’s new privacy policies. Read More

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Social Media Security: Strict Privacy Settings Are the Norm, Regardless of Age

Posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2012 by

Strict privacy settings are now the norm for social media users, regardless of age.

That’s just one of the results from an online sample of 1,021 Internet “experts” in a recent Pew Internet Project. The survey also showed that attention to privacy issues has increased while profile “pruning” and unfriending people is also on the rise.

Among the 63% of adults who maintain a social networking profile, survey results show that: Read More

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Minors Increasingly Victims of Cyber Crime on Social Media

Posted on Friday, February 10th, 2012

In North Carolina, deputies say they are seeing more cyber crime cases against minors on social media — including the use of false profiles on social networks.

What are some of the cases? Read More

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