EOC Week 8: Privacy

Tracking users on the internet is nothing new, nor is it illegal. But it gets to a point that has you wondering if companies are crossing the line to gain this information. The more time that goes by, the more open people are about personal information on the internet. Social networking sites a massive reason for the increase of public information on the internet. Companies have various reasons for doing such activity. The reasons for doing such actives can range from all over the board. Getting your e-mail for a mailing list, marketing directly to your personal searches or even hacking your accounts is all plausible reasons. Facebook is one of the companies that are getting flack for tracking its users. The reason for the controversy is, not only do they track while users are logged into Facebook but also while logged out. “Facebook officials are now acknowledging that the social media giant has been able to create a running log of the web pages that each of its 800 million or so members has visited during the previous 90 days. Facebook also keeps close track of where millions more non-members of the social network go on the Web, after they visit a Facebook web page for any reason.” Google is also no stranger to controversy either when it comes to tracking. “Google will soon know far more about who you are and what you do on the Web. The Web giant announced Tuesday that it plans to follow the activities of users across nearly all of its ubiquitous sites, including YouTube, Gmail and its leading search engine. Google has already been collecting some of this information. But for the first time, it is combining data across its Web sites to stitch together a fuller portrait of users. Consumers won’t be able to opt out of the changes, which take effect March 1. And experts say the policy shift will invite greater scrutiny from federal regulators of the company’s privacy and competitive practices. The move will help Google better tailor its ads to people’s tastes. If someone watches an NBA clip online and lives in Washington, the firm could advertise Washington Wizards tickets in that person’s Gmail account.”  One way around this is to protect yourself with a variety of option!