I just returned from Privacy Training (which is required for my second job with the Ministry of Corrections) where I obtained a number of pamphlets from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. I again found myself in a dilemma.The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act are designed to protect our privacy. They focus on our rights as individuals to have our personal information protected. These laws are applicable in the cases as outlined in the handbook, but no mention is made of cases that pertain to our personal everyday lives. Many of us do not realize how much personal information we unknowingly release every day or are oblivious to the conditions in which we release it. For example, even this posting reveals information about myself that you don't need to know.
How many times have you been at a store where they required a piece of identification to return items? How many over-the-phone surveys have you responded to and given information such as yearly income, age, number of persons living in the home, etc.? How many times have you applied for jobs where information was required about about your references? How many times have you made purchases at stores where they asked for your postal code and phone number? How many times have you 'confided' in your hairdresser or masseuse, only to find her confiding in you about a number of her other clients? What do these places do with all this information?
For fun, I had a number of friends do google searches on themselves. The information they found (some true, some not) was alarming. Where did all this information come from?
It is a scary world out there and the amount of personal information available is staggering. The internet makes accessing this type of information much too easy. It also makes it effortless to post incriminating, misleading and bogus information - unfortunately, it is left to the reader to decide what is real and what is phony!
2 comments:
This the reason why everyone should actively control their digital identity. Being proactive and managing yourself instead of google is the first step. Spend $20 and buy a domain name for yourself and your kids.
I agree with you that we unknowingly provide information. I guess this proves that we need to teach our students to become critical thinkers so they can learn about protecting their identity and understand what information to give out and when.
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