I’d like you to take a minute or two and Google your name. That’s right, when was the last time you put your name in quotations and looked yourself up on Google? With my name it lists all sorts of stuff I’ve done in my past. That’s pretty scary, right? Now navigate to a website called Spokeo.com and then to Whitepages.com.
When I type my name into Spokeo.com it provides my last addresses (until April 2011), age, birthday, voting status and a whole lot of other information I never knew was public. Whitepages.com also lists some vital information such as places I’ve lived. For free, either site will map the exact places I’ve lived in the past. Fortunately, as of this writing, neither site lists my current information.
Lately there’s been a lot of discussion about online privacy and how it impacts computer users. Google, the largest search provider, will be updating its privacy statement in March 2012 and will grant it the right to share personal information it collects with third parties and others. This has been a huge topic for customers visiting my store.
Collecting customer data is nothing new though. Hammacher Schlemmer, Montgomery Ward and Sears, the earliest of mail order companies, all collected data on their customers. If you’re old enough to remember receiving these catalogues then you’ll also remember receiving specialized catalogues based on prior purchases.
Modern retailers also collect data every time a purchase is made. The nation’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, has a huge database and can predict how a person will make a purchase. Other retailers use loyalty cards to keep track of exact purchases by household. If you happen to make a purchase which corresponds to one of their marketing promotions I guarantee you’ll receive a mailer or coupon.
Browsing online and surfing the web is really no different. Browser cookies were once used solely to tell webmasters their users’ browsing history. For example, if I navigate to the LocalComputerWiz.com interface I can see exactly how users found my site and to what sites they navigated after they left. I can’t tell who the user was, that’s totally anonymous. However, I see an aggregated chart based on usage for the month.
Most people don’t understand that toolbars and add-on utilities actively collect data as you use your computer. Because they’re installed with the administrator’s permissions, they are considered safe by virus scanners. If you pick a toolbar that may be on your computer and read the disclaimer and user agreement, somewhere towards the bottom it will say something about sharing information. It’s a good idea to remove toolbars, or have them removed.
Preventing your information from being used by third parties is next to impossible. For starters, you’d have to live off the grid which means no electric, phone or other utilities. In other words, you’d need to be totally autonomous. Basically, you’d need to chase a rainbow and find a pot of gold. In modern times it’s next to impossible you’re going to live in complete anonymity.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind if some marketing executive knows I have a preference for blue clothes and wear size 11 shoes. And I don’t think it really matters that the supermarket sees I purchase a strawberry yogurt, an apple and a bottle of water at 6:15PM every night. I surf the web knowing my privacy could be breached with a click of the mouse and it’s just a chance I take. I guess my answer to all the questions I’ve received can be coalesced into: Don’t worry about what you can’t control and enjoy what technology has to offer.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)