The start of the year is when I review my online privacy practices and identify steps to improve cybersecurity of my accounts and online habits.
Which is good timing: January is when dozens of articles and news stories are published about privacy and how to avoid scams as well as information about annual Data Privacy Week events.
Last year I focused on deleting online accounts, which took a lot longer than I expected. (About once a month, I receive an email message about some old account I’ve forgotten about.)
This year I’m focusing on taking action from recommendations in Consumer Report recently updated guide.
I’m also learning about opting out from data brokers and online resources that have information about me.
Read on to learn more.
Guide to Digital Security and Privacy
Dedicated to helping you stay safe online, the Guide to Digital Security and Privacy (Wayback Machine link) offers a wide range of advice and recommendations for protecting your digital devices and controlling what online tracking from sites you visit.
You’ll find helpful tips and help for such things as:
- Turning off smart TV snooping features
- Password managers
- Security planning tool
Today’s Consumer Reports story, co-published with The Markup, on how each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies is shocking in terms of the massive scale of surveillance.
2,230 different companies, on average, shared data on each participant.
Yikes!
BADBOOL: Opting Out
Launched in September 2017 by Yael Grauer, an investigative tech reporter focusing on privacy and security, BADBOOL (Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List) is a huge list of data brokers with instructions on how you can opt-out.
I’ve gone through about 10 sites on the list, sites I’ve never heard of.
One site gave me immediate feedback:
We have received your data removal request, we will process it soon and keep you updated.
Grauer updates the site every six months, so the information is current.
Her advice: be patient.
Opt-out can take a while (I learned that last year from trying to delete online accounts.)
For folks who have been doxxed, Grauer’s list offers instructions on how to get Google and Bing to remove your contact information.
Wrapping Up
In our digital world, keeping your personal information private takes time and effort.
I’m thankful to Consumer Reports and Yael Grauer for providing useful resources for everyone to take action to protect their privacy and personal info.
