We all have that one friend. You know, the one that tags you in that terrible photo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Sure, maybe after shooting an angry text message their way, said friend will remove the picture. The trouble with the Internet is that once something is out there, it’s hard to take it away.
Today there are three aspects of our lives: home, work, and digital. People will evaluate us based on our digital profiles, according to writer and privacy expert Frank Ahearn.
“The stupid mistake like a drunk driving arrest, the bad review about our plumbing business, and the compromising photo our ex has posted now haunts us,” Ahearn said.
While retracting information can be difficult, Greg Elmer, a cyber privacy expert at Ryerson University, offers some tips on how to increase online privacy in a Metro News article.
First, Elmer emphasized that regardless of what a website assures you, you must assume everything is public.
Think about it. Do you really want to post that picture of that keg stand if a potential employer could see it?
Another tip is to always log out of all public computers – like the ones in the library. You wouldn’t want the next person using the computer to see your Facebook messages.
Elmer also said to “read the privacy terms on websites.” Taking those extra few minutes can help keep your information secure.
Ownership of websites, and subsequently their privacy settings, can often change without notice or warning, he said.
Instagram recently changed their terms and conditions so they could sell photos uploaded onto their servers to third parties, according to their website. However, they later recanted the new policy.
“Because of the feedback we have heard from you, we are reverting this advertising section to the original version,” the company said on their official blog.
“Today you sign up for a social site located in Vancouver, which adheres to Canadian privacy laws,” Ahearn said. “However, in two years that site could be sold to another company in Kazakhstan which may not adhere or respect Canadian laws.”
Elmer also reminded people to refrain from opening links sent from unknown individuals, as hackers often gain personal information this way.
Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, is stressing online privacy for 2013.
In a press release from Jan. 2, the commissioner emphasized privacy as a good New Year’s resolution.
Cavoukian said thinking before you click can help you avoid the hassle of trying to remove unwanted information from the web later.
Reading the fine print and making unique passwords can also help secure your information, Cavoukian said.
While there are some precautions one can take, there is no such thing as privacy when it comes to your online information, according to Ahearn.
“Always conduct yourself with the mindset you are being recorded,” Ahearn said.
“And most of all, think before you hit enter because there is no return.”
