Commercial Use of Personal Information
Alarming modern Internet scams have triggered user action to find and remove their personal information from the Internet. Most websites do contain login data, sometimes credit card information, social security details, or health records, mostly taken when a user interacts.
In a well-connected-world, the companies have all the information about users, their location, social media connections, online purchases, browsing the history, content published by them, personal habits, and lot more. One way users are disclosing information from their smartphones and on the other way, are worried and want to clean all their stuff from the Internet.
The online companies trading the personal information to make profits. They claim that user itself has authorized for the same by clicking on the ‘I Agree' button on the user agreement. Very few people carefully reads the agreement before clicking, most just want to approach their intentious work done. Mostly people believe that what harm the companies would do if that is not financial information. Hence, freely share the information on social media like Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin. But, now, people have find the companies are using this information by targeting them with ads. Some may like those ads, but for most it is annoying!
The companies have lot of resources to gather information like IoTs, gazettes, ISP's, websites, social media, online forms, even government publicizes certain information. People want vigilance on personal information to stop data being used commercially.
How to remove available personal information?
- Deleting Information from Social Media Platforms: Check information you are sharing in ‘About' page of your profile. Check privacy settings and check, hide the profile information, you don't want to disclose.
- Contact Publisher: Land-laws like Right to Privacy provides rules and regulations may force the publishers to take down the content. Web hosting provider may also be contacted and explain how your disclosing your personal information is violation of rules, you can also go to court to obtain an injunction.
- Contact Search Engines: Google and Bing provides the form to remove offending content from their search results
Use of Malicious Softwares
Scammers in Today’s world are evolving along with technology at an alarming rate. Meddling with your personal information through laptops and computers can be financially and mentally devastating. Downloading music, movies, games can be enjoyable, but one should beware about the illegal downloads that might result in severe computer viruses and expenses that you might not want to anticipate. Some downloads containing viruses can wipe out your files, you might download dialer programs without realizing which enables the hackers to hijack your modem and connect to unknown numbers that end up in expensive phone charges.
A good anti-virus software program can help prevent this negligence and protect your computer with threats. Make sure that everyone in your household or business checks with you first before downloading programs. One mustn’t download files from a site which is not trusted. Being cautious about emails offering information or entertainment services has vital importance and remain saved from an unwanted suffering position. Supervision over children when they’re surfing the internet is critical. Lured by promises of fun, children may ignore the user agreement or other warnings. Family members who are worried about children surfing the internet should take advantage of the ability to block Web sites that they do not want visitors for.
It is essential to be safe and informed while accessing the internet. One must watch out for phishing emails that pretend to be someone they are not and retain your personal information to the only misuse. Fraudsters use links to lure people to Web sites that look just like the real sites of the company impersonating. If you follow the instructions and enter your personal information, you’ll deliver it directly into the hands of identity thieves. To check whether the message is really from the company or agency, call it directly or go to its Web site.
Only open email attachments if you’re expecting them and know what they contain. Even if the messages look like they came from people you know, they could be from scammers and include programs that will steal your personal information so you should be very sharp and attentive towards the website you are logging into and sharing your details because you never know what might harm your rights.
