Today is Reset the Net Day, a day organized by Fight the Future and other organizations to encourage people to learn how to protect their online data.
Reset the Net marks the first anniversary of The Guardian story about Edward Snowden’s leaks about the U.S National Security Agency (NSA) and how the NSA spied on U.S. citizens.
The goal for Reset the Net is to block government surveillance on the Internet by raising awareness and educating people on Internet privacy.
According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 68 percent of Americans felt Internet laws don’t go far enough to protect their privacy online.
Internet Companies and Users’ Privacy Rights
We all use multiple programs and applications on our computers, smartphones, and electronic devices. As users, we place our trust in those companies who created the programs and applications to protect our private and important information.
Unfortunately, company policies don’t always protect our information.
In May 2014, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released their annual Who Has Your Back? report of which Internet companies (Internet service providers, email providers, social networking sites, cloud platform service providers) were willing to take a stand for their users’ privacy rights.
Based on the six criteria the EFF used for the assessment, the companies that scored the highest for their users’ rights policies were:
- Apple
- CREDO Mobile
- Dropbox
- Microsoft
- Sonic
- Yahoo
Of the 26 companies reviewed in the report, Snapchat had the lowest rating, followed by AT&T.
I use services from over half the companies on the report; several have good ratings, others didn’t. Yes, I’m concerned.
Steps To Take Today to Protect Your Online Privacy
While Internet companies policies are important, ultimately you need to step up to control your online privacy.
Before signing up for an online service/application or purchasing a new application, educate yourself. Read the company privacy policy before making your decision. Are you comfortable with the policy, and what the company may reveal about your online habits?
Take control of your online privacy with the Reset the Net privacy pack, which includes free software and tools that will make your computers, phones, and tablets more secure.
The software and tools in the privacy pack run on Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux. Here are a few of the tools and information you’ll find in the pack:
- HTTPS Everywhere: for secure connections everywhere on the Internet
- Chat Secure: secure chat with Google and XMPP users
- Adium: Mac encrypted chats on Facebook, Google, Duck Duck Go, and more
- Pidgin: Windows and GNU/Linux encrypted chats on Facebook, Google, Duck Duck Go, and more
- How to encrypt your Android phone and why you might want to
- Enable Filevault on your Mac to protect you if it’s lost, stolen, or seized
If you’re a developer, add end-to-end encryption to your application or program. If you’re an organization, commit to implementing the Data Security Action Plan of 2014.
Resources
Don’t let your privacy be taken away from you. Learn about privacy policies for the products and applications you use. Make informed decisions.
If you want to learn more about online privacy, these sites have useful information:
- The Surveillance Self Defense Project
- Online Privacy: I recognize the irony for including this page from the US government
- Your Information on the Net: What You Need to Know: Microsoft’s online privacy guide
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
- Electronic Privacy Information Center
Do you have other tips for protecting online privacy? Share them in the comments.
