Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
comprehensive privacy policies on their sites and to obtain parental consent before they collect
any personal information from children under 13 years of age. Web site operators who violate
an impact in the design and operations of Web sites that cater to children. For example, Lions
Gate Entertainment, the operator of the
www.thebratzfilm.com
Web site, had to modify its
site after the Council of Better Business Bureaus determined the site failed to meet the
COPPA requirements. The Web site requested personally identifiable information to register
for the Bratz Newsletter and register for a chance to win a trip to the premiere of
The Bratz
Movie
without first obtaining verifiable parental consent.
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A social network service employs the Web and software to connect people for whatever
purpose. There are thousands of such networks, which have become popular among
teenagers. Some of the more popular social networking Web sites include Bebo,
Classmates.com, Facebook, Hi5, Imbee, MySpace, Namesdatabase.com, Tagged, and XuQa.
Most of these Web sites allow one to easily create a user profile that provides personal details,
photos, even videos that can be viewed by other visitors to the Web site. Some of the Web
sites have age restrictions or require that a parent register their preteen by providing a credit
card to validate the parent's identity. Teens can provide information about where they live,
go to school, their favorite music, and interests in hopes of meeting new friends. Unfortu-
nately, they can also meet ill-intentioned strangers at these sites. Many documented encoun-
ters involve adults masquerading as teens attempting to meet young people for illicit purposes.
Parents are advised to discuss potential dangers, check their children's profiles, and monitor
their activities at such Web sites.
Fairness in Information Use
Selling information to other companies can be so lucrative that many companies will continue
to store and sell the data they collect on customers, employees, and others. When is this
information storage and use fair and reasonable to the people whose data is stored and sold?
Do people have a right to know about data stored about them and to decide what data is
stored and used? As shown in Table 14.2, these questions can be broken down into four
issues that should be addressed: knowledge, control, notice, and consent.
In the past few decades, significant laws have been passed regarding a person's right to
privacy. Others relate to business privacy rights and the fair use of data and information.
Fairness Issues
Database Storage
Database Usage
Notice
Consent
The right to know
The ability to decide
Knowledge
Control
Knowledge.
Should people know what data is stored about them? In some cases, people are informed that information about them
is stored in a corporate database. In others, they do not know that their personal information is stored in corporate databases.
Control.
Should people be able to correct errors in corporate database systems? This is possible with most organizations, although
it can be difficult in some cases.
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Notice.
Should an organization that uses personal data for a purpose other than the original purpose notify individuals in advance?
Most companies don't do this.
Consent.
If information on people is to be used for other purposes, should these people be asked to give their consent before data
on them is used? Many companies do not give people the ability to decide if information on them will be sold or used for other
purposes.
Table 14.2
The Privacy Act of 1974
The major piece of legislation on privacy is the Privacy Act of 1974 (PA74). PA74 applies
only to certain federal agencies. The act, which is about 15 pages long, is straightforward and
easy to understand. The purpose of this act is to provide certain safeguards for people against
an invasion of personal privacy by requiring federal agencies (except as otherwise provided
by law) to do the following:
The Right to Know and the
Ability to Decide Federal Privacy
Laws and Regulations
