data collectionAll our Privacy Parent articles about or related to how companies collect your personal data online.
All our Privacy Parent articles about or related to how companies collect your personal data online.
March 6th, 2024
It’s taken years, but an American administration is finally starting to take privacy seriously. Today the Biden administration issued an Executive Order restricting the flow of personal data to China, Russia, and four other countries. In the ongoing struggle to preserve what little privacy we have left in the digital age, this is a step we should have taken years ago. Still, it’s an important step, and one that comes better late than never.
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January 3rd, 2024
This site typically focuses on privacy as it pertains to (or how it is undermined by) our phones, tablets, and home computers. Devices, some of which are small enough to fit your pocket. But an alarming article in the New York Times points out the threat to privacy by another—much bigger—device: our cars.
We’ve written about this before, but given how much time we spend in cars and…... Continue reading >
December 13th, 2023
Lots of scams this time of year, lots of opportunities to make a quick slip and hand personal information to the wrong folks. Yes, the Grinch is on the prowl, and with all the online shopping we’re compelled to do during the holiday season—all the sites we visit, deals we chase, ads we click—it’s easy to become a victim. That’s the bad news. The good news is there are simple steps you can take to stay…... Continue reading >
August 31st, 2023
Do you use Venmo to pay the babysitter? Do your kids use it to buy snacks or payback their friends? Then check your privacy settings. According to a recent article in the New York Times, Venmo is notorious for gathering your personal information and sharing it far and wide. Your contact lists, past purchases, and lots else, are scooped up and made available for just about anyone on the app to see. The reporter who wrote the…... Continue reading >
June 14th, 2023
Thanks to your phone, your web-browsing, and the rest of your e-habits, the government knows a whole lot about you and can track your clicks (and steps) without much trouble. Your whereabouts, who you hang out with, your search history—that’s all data that’s compiled and packaged for sale. Can you guess who’s buying it? Law enforcement and intelligence agencies, for starters. And they don’t need a warrant. Most of us have nothing to hide from the…... Continue reading >
September 21st, 2022
Your data is so valuable, that companies around the world want it. But here’s a twist: some of the biggest collectors of that data have no idea where it is. According to recent congressional testimony from a Twitter whistleblower, the social media platform can’t really keep track of it all. Nor, it seems, can the other tech giants, including Facebook and Google. From the Washington Post:
Some of these systems are black boxes…... Continue reading >
September 2nd, 2021
You may not know about data brokers, but it’s their job to know about you. Creepy, right? Let’s even the playing field a bit.
You have to be constantly vigilant to protect yourself and your family when going online. A case in point is the issue of data brokers. Parents need to be aware of data brokers because they are companies that exist to gather a huge amount of information on people.
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August 6th, 2020
Protect your phone number and protect yourself. If a form on a website asks for it, think twice before typing it in. The more widely distributed your phone number is, the easier it is for companies to track your behavior online and serve up ads to you. And because your phone number is so closely tied to your identity, it’s a prize for hackers, too. Keep it close and protect yourself. If your kids have phones,…... Continue reading >
June 18th, 2020
What’s the difference between a browser and a search engine? Think of it this way: A browser is your public library: the building, the tables, the shelves, the librarians—all of it. A search engine is the card catalog. If car analogies work better for you, a browser is your Buick Roadmaster; a search engine is the map spread across the seat. We all use both of them all the time, but they’re different, and it’s important…... Continue reading >
March 28th, 2020
With schools closed for the foreseeable future, your kids
will be spending more time online than ever, completing school assignments
remotely, playing games and staying in touch with friends. It will be largely
up to you to keep them safe. Seekadoo, a kid-friendly search engine, can help.
Install it on your kids’ device for free and know their searches won’t lead them to wildly inappropriate results. You can download Seekadoo here.
Seekadoo is…... Continue reading >