Tip #6: Understand new features before you use them

Have you heard of the days when people would have to go to an arcade to play a video game and a cell phone was a big clunky thing that could only be used to make a phone call? These days, portable gaming systems make it possible for you to have a virtual arcade in your pocket. Many cell phones can connect to the web and include video cameras, meaning what was once a phone is now a mini broadcast studio.

And it doesn’t stop there. Technology is advancing every day, meaning that there are new products and online features available all the time. And while some of the new features can be fun and useful, some are designed to take or reveal your personal information, so it is important to understand them before you use them.

Take  geo-tagging, for example.  Most newer-model smartphones allow geo-tagging  – a  feature that can reveal your location. If you enable the feature, when you take a photo, thanks to GPS technology, it can be tagged with your location. When you post your geo-tagged photo, people can discover where it was snapped. Who can know your location? Anyone you allow to see your photo – and anyone those people share the photo with. It could be friends or family. It could also be teachers, ex boyfriends or girlfriends – and, of course, complete strangers.

Geo-location applications can be helpful, even fun, since they allow you to see, on a map, the exact location a photo was taken. The point is that it’s important to understand what is happening to this important piece of your personal information before you use the application. It is important to think carefully before you tell the world exactly where you are at all times.

And this is an important tip to consider before you use any new piece of technology or online application. Think about the effect it will have on your personal information before you use it. In the case of geotagging, find out exactly what information is being shared and consider if you’re comfortable with that before you use the application.   

For information on how to disable geo-tagging on many smartphones, click here.

Stay tuned for Tip #7:  Online impersonation: prevent people from hijacking your account and pretending to be you.   

When I decided to become a public education officer for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, I was in my early twenties and an active user of social media.  To get the job, I had to familiarize myself with what I felt at the time was the general and vague concept of privacy.

After a few days, I realized that my new job would benefit me both on a professional and a personal level. How? Through simple things, like being motivated to buy a shredder, to clean up my friends list, to further restrict the privacy settings of my social networking accounts and to think twice before filling-out online quizzes or providing personal information at the cash when buying new clothes.

Privacy quickly became palpable.

To me, privacy is the right to decide which information I want to share, and with whom. It’s Googling my name and not finding my whole life exposed to the public. It’s being able to trust companies, to know that if they collect my personal information, with my consent, they will use it for legitimate purposes that they make clear in their privacy policies. They will respect my privacy, the same way I do with my friends’  and vice versa. I understand now that my personal information is precious. Not because I have something to hide, but because I realize how much it’s worth – today more than ever.

What are your thoughts on privacy?

Get inspired. Post a comment.
I’ve told you what privacy means to me. Now, it’s your turn.

Our Office has created a new video with tips and advice on what to consider when you are posting information online. Most of us understand that there are no do-overs online – the words, pictures and videos you post can follow you forever. And while you can’t control everything, we’re hoping this video will help you control what you can. Check it out!

Tip #5: SEXTING: NOT WORTH IT

Sexting means sending sexually explicit messages or sexual images, primarily between mobile phones.

According to Common Sense Media, young people may send these kinds of messages for a variety of reasons, like responding to peer pressure, showing off, or just showing someone that they like them.
 
Recent media reports suggest it may not be as big a problem as experts once thought. But for a school of 1000 kids, that’s still about one hundred kids potentially putting themselves at risk.
 
Remember that photos and messages can be widely shared and remain online forever. And think about the emotional or reputational damage that can come from having intimate photos of yourself go to a friend who can become an ex-friend and forward them to everyone you know or even people you don’t know.

Our advice on this is easy – don’t send sexual messages or images across the Internet. The risks and consequences are just too great. And it’s just not worth it!

Stay tuned for Tip #6:  Understand new online features before you use them.

Tip #3: What you post on the Internet is not private – and what you can do about it

Consider these two real-life examples, which illustrate how un-private things can be online.

1. Last year, a teen at a Canadian high school e-mailed a photo of herself to her best friend. It was a personal photo and it was clear she didn’t want it shared. Later, the two girls got in a big fight, and the second girl printed a bunch of copies of the photo and taped them all over the school the next day.

2. A few years ago, an American sports reporter was changing her clothes in a hotel room. A creepy guy was spying on her and filmed her. He ended up posting the videos online. Even after suing him, the videos continued to circulate online, although most have computer viruses embedded into them.

For further evidence that what you post on the Internet is not private, consider this line from the privacy policy of one of the most popular social networking sites out there right now:

“We cannot guarantee that only authorized persons will view your information. We cannot ensure that information you share… will not become publicly available.”

In other words, even if you have made your privacy settings very restrictive, this particular social networking site can’t guarantee that only your “friends” will actually see your personal information. It’s the same with e-mail or anything else you post online: just because it goes to one person doesn’t mean it’s going to stay with that one person.

Whatever you post can be copied, pasted and transmitted anywhere else on the Internet. Sometimes they can also be saved onto hard drives, printed out or e-mailed to anyone else.

So if you decide, 15 minutes later, or next week, to take down an embarrassing picture or comment, it might be too late.

So, what can you do about this?

First, if you don’t want something shared, don’t post it online.

Second, always think carefully before you post something, keeping in mind that everything you post could become public and could be permanent.

Third, restrict your privacy settings. Every social networking site has privacy settings and you can use them to take some control over who sees what you post. It could be everyone, or you can restrict it to specific groups and individuals.

In a nutshell, always remember that whatever control you have online, it’s only at the front end. If a friend copies your picture or comment and sends it around to other people, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. This is why it’s so important to always think carefully before you post anything.

Stay tuned for Tip #4: Know who your real friends are.

Tip #2: Putting your online rep to work for you

No matter your age, it’s always important to prepare for your future.  That doesn’t necessarily mean sketching out a detailed plan, plotting a detailed path from high school to a particular college or university to the perfect job, etc.  That’s a lot to ask from anyone.  Some of us know exactly where we want to go and exactly how to get there. Others may want to keep their options open.

Whether you have planned your path or are trying to decide what to do, there’s one thing you definitely don’t want to do; anything that will limit your choices or close doors.  Put another way, while weighing your options, don’t do anything that might limit them.
   
Your online identity is a reflection of how people see you. And let’s face it: some of the personal content that people post on the Internet isn’t always flattering. Some people (including employers, teachers, neighbours and parents) search online to check people out.

Now, that’s not necessarily a good practice for a company to follow.  The information they find may be out of date or easily taken out of context.  But you can’t control a company’s screening methods.  You can however, control what you post, and what you post can either help or hinder you in making a good impression.

If you carefully think about what you post, you have the power to ensure that people who decide to check you out online will only see what you want them to see.

That’s what privacy is, in a nutshell. It’s about being in the driver’s seat and preserving your ability to control your own personal information.

The next 10 blogs will cover specific topics that will provide you with the tools and information to make your own decisions. The topics will include: privacy and the Internet; knowing who your friends are; sexting; geo-location; cyberbullying; online impersonation; online snooping; mobile devices; and behavioural advertising.

Stay tuned for Tip #3: What you post on the Internet is not private – and what you can do about this.