For the past year, internet privacy has attracted more attention from many big names. The Wall Street Journal has a series detailing websites' use of cookies, ""beacons"" and other tracking measures showing how much of our information is at their control. The American Civil Liberties Union has a petition letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg asking for individuals to have ""control over all"" information they put on the billionaire's website. Last summer, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced legislation that aims to regulate personal data and online privacy.
The recent WSJ series focuses its message on the massive amounts of cookies and other tracking devices websites use to keep track of their users' ""non-identifiable information."" The most recent leak of Facebook and MySpace personal ID numbers, mainly through third-party applications from companies like Zynga, has refocused attention to legislation to regulate the use of website users' data.
However, the answer to stopping leaks and slowing the use of cookies and other tracking files doesn't lay in Congress or any other authoritative body. The answer is in each and every internet user. The most effective way to change the course of internet privacy is to be more careful and diligent when using it.
Websites are businesses that rely on advertising, with most of their revenue coming from ad sales. Internet companies are able to make revenue by selling space for advertising, and advertisers are willing to pay if they know their ads are going to be hitting a desired target audience, which is why sites share or sell the non-identifiable information.Sites like Facebook and Google are able to continue offering free services we love and rely on because they raise the necessary profits from selling advertising space. So unless users are going to be willing to pay to use the websites, companies are going to give information to help their true consumers, advertising companies and get prime marketing opportunities.
Legislation may seem like an easy way to change privacy practices by regulating the way websites use the data we voluntarily give to them. However, it will come with negative side effects. If websites can no longer give targeted marketing opportunities to advertisers, revenues will drop, and websites will either have to charge for use or scale back services. Both of those options are undesirable.
Privacy isn't an inherent quality of the Internet, so users will have to exert some effort to protect it. There are ways to protect privacy while using websites. Users can disable cookies, enter private browsing options and use anti-virus software to delete more pesky tracking cookies. Those ideas are not new, but many people still fail to use them, probably because it takes time and effort.
Another effective way to change the way companies use our information is to change the way we use their sites. If users do not want companies to share where their hometown is, their name or favorite color, do not volunteer the information. Another way to make sure companies like Zynga do not leak information is to not use their products. Stay off Farmville and do not click on ads or get off the Internet. Personal responsibility and knowledge of websites' privacy policies will be the best tool to change the way companies use your information.
But to many companies' credit, they have reacted positively to privacy concerns. For instance, after nearly every major privacy leak, Zuckerberg has offered new ways for Facebook users to protect their information. Recently, after user IDs were leaked from his site, Zuckerberg announced that the IDs would be encrypted while being sent on Facebook. This has created a site that is profitable and user-friendly.
On the other hand, sites like MySpace have failed to change their ways, stressing personal responsibility. If privacy is indeed a concern for users, then they'll begin to use sites that respond to concerns, like Facebook, and begin to leave sites that don't.
There are legitimate privacy concerns on the Internet, and some people want the government to take care of it. Instead, people should begin to rethink what information they give to websites in the first place, and what websites they choose to use. If people are willing to set aside some time, they could begin to mold the Internet into what they want it to be, even without government intervention.
Matt Beaty is a sophomore majoring in computer science and mathemetics. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
