General and Online Privacy

General Privacy Tips

You benefit when information that has been collected about you speeds approval of a credit application or medical care. On the other hand, if the information collected is inaccurate or misused, you could be treated unfairly, or even become a victim of crime. You also may not want to be on lists for unsolicited telemarketing calls and mail.

While federal law protects some of your personal information and how it is used - for example credit reports - other situations aren't covered. Some companies and industry groups have adopted voluntary policies to address privacy concerns. Many states have their own privacy laws concerning telemarketing; employment; use of Social Security, credit card or checking account numbers; medical records; mailing lists; credit reports; debt collection; computerized communications; insurance records; and public data banks. Check with your state or local consumer agency to find out where to get information about specific privacy rights.

Here are some general tips on protecting your privacy.

• Look for privacy policy statements on sales materials, websites, and forms that companies ask you to fill out. If you don't see anything about how your personal information will be handled, ask. By doing business with companies whose privacy practices meet your approval, you can protect yourself from abuse and use your purchasing power to help promote good privacy policies.
• Never give anyone your passwords or pin numbers. Con artists may try to trick you into providing this information by pretending to be your service provider.
• Do not give out personal information to people or companies you don't know. A credit card number, savings or checking account number, or Social Security number in the wrong hands can be used to steal from you or to steal from others in your name.
• Don't give retailers information that isn't required. You don't have to give numbers other than the one you are using for payment. Some states bar merchants from asking consumers to provide additional information on checks or credit card slips.
• Give your Social Security number to employers, government agencies, lenders and credit bureaus only.
• Be selective in what information you include on warranty registration forms. Many questions can be ignored. The company only needs the purchase date, model/serial numbers, and how you can be contacted if there is a product recall.
• Ask what information about you may be tracked and how it is used. Supermarket scan cards enable you to get special sale prices, but your purchasing history could also be sold to other companies.
• Screen your calls. You can use an answering machine to listen to a caller and decide whether you want to pick up. Your local telephone company may offer services that you can buy to accept calls only from certain numbers, or to see the name and number of the person calling you (Caller ID).
• Talk about privacy issues with your children and other household members. Everyone should understand what information you feel is and is not appropriate to provide on the phone, while using a computer, and in other situations.

Online Privacy

Good websites will tell you how they protect the personal information they collect.

Look for a privacy policy statement or seal that indicates the site abides by privacy standards set by self-regulatory programs. Since programs vary, find out what the standards are; don't assume they provide the level of privacy you want.

Look for signals that you are entering personal information on a secure web page. A secure site encrypts or scrambles personal information so it cannot be easily intercepted. Signals include a screen notice that says you are on a secure site, a closed lock or unbroken key in the bottom corner of your screen, or the first letters of the Internet address you are viewing changes from "http" to "https".

Children's Online Commercial websites must now obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13. These are new rules that are part of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. For more information, contact the FTC or click on Kids Privacy at www.ftc.gov.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration