privacy laws

Privacy

In recent years there have been many concerns about how much private information people post on to websites like facebook.com and internet delivery companies like play.com

Facebook.com has been heavily criticised over the last few years for its privacy settings or as some see it as lack of or interest to even protect their users from others online.

One way in which facebook.com has been criticized is the way that all default profiles are set to allow anyone to view content on them even if they weren’t friends with that person, there was also criticism over the way that it seemed facebook.com had made it difficult for users to change their privacy settings.

Facebook.com was also slated for putting in its term &conditions that any information you post onto facebook.com they own, this wasn’t highlighted until a family in the north of England found their family photo being used to advertise the BNP and when going to law enforcements facebook.com solicitors just told the families solicitor ‘did you not read the terms and conditions?’

In the United Kingdom the Data protection act of 1988 was designed to protect users at home and in the work place where it enforces employers to inform employees if emails and other forms of communication are being monitored, it’s the same for everyone any company that has your information has to inform you if they want to do anything with it e.g. sell to advertisers so they can make money off you, although companies are crafty about getting away with it.

Other ways companies have to inform you is if you telephone them up and they try monitoring phone calls for training purposes you must be informed.

There are also privacy laws to protect criminals from vigilantes when they are released although some people are against these laws because they feel it will put their children in danger if a paedophile is allowed to live in their town unknown of his past crimes and with a new identity what is there to stop him or her reoffending.

Although some people support the law saying people should be allowed a second chance and everyone has the right to privacy.

Other privacy laws when it comes to information point out that for any information gathered there must be an outlined reason for its use e.g. asking for a telephone number when no contact through telephone is going to be made.

Data must be deleted when it is no longer needed.

There is also the law that some data is too sensitive to be asked unless under extreme circumstances e.g. a rape victim being interviewed by police about his or hers ordeal.