Came across this article PRIVACY LOST – No secrets in the digital age, very good content about privacy.
Let me enlighten you with some facts I have come across in my career. It is very important that everyone understands how everything and anything they do today can be directly linked back to them. Some real-life examples:
- Using your credit card – shows where you were and what you purchased
- Using your debit card – shows which bank you bank with, where you were, and what you purchased
- Making a phone call – Your phone records record everyone you called
- Surfing the internet – All your surfing details are recorded in your browser’s cache, which if not cleared can be read to identify your browsing patterns.
- Using a search engine - Every search you do is stored in the search engine logs with your IP address and what you were looking for and where did you end up.
- Sending an email – Who did you send the email to and what was it about.
- GPS on your cell phone – if always running can pinpoint your location
- Online communities – Facebook where everyone these days is naively publishing details on their friends, schools, family etc…Â The funny thing is that Facebook’s terms and conditions specify that any data you publish on their website becomes their property and they can use it any way they like. Other such sites are myspace.
These are some of the points one has to be aware of as “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING” syndrome is not a myth but a reality in this time and age.