Privacy

What is Online Privacy?

Winston & Strawn LLP (n.d.) state online privacy means how well someone's information is protected when they use the internet. Essentially, this talks about how safe your personal and financial information are when you use the internet and how secure your messages and choices are too. People who use the internet try to make sure their information is safe and private by using things like anti-virus software, picking strong passwords, not letting websites track them, checking if websites are secure, and choosing the highest privacy settings (Winston and LLP, n.d.). Winston & Strawn LLP (n.d.) state if one is not careful online, someone might trick them into giving away their personal information, or infect their computer with harmful software. Also, Winston & Strawn LLP(n.d.) say sometimes websites aren't secure enough and someone might steal your identity. 

Futhermore, Winston & Strawn LLP (n.d.) state that online privacy means controlling who can see your information, while online security means protecting your information from bad people who might try to take it with cyberattacks or hacking.

Why is Online Privacy Important?

Bitdefender (n.d.) explain that it is important to keep your personal information private on the internet because it allows you to stay in control of your identity. If there is no control, someone can use your information to benefit them without your permission, this can also include trying to sell you something more expensive or taking your money without your knowledge Bitdefender (n.d.).

How to Protect Your Online Privacy?

1. Passwords: Make them hard to guess and safe from cyber-attacks. Passwords that are easy to guess, such as ‘Password1’ and ‘12345’ can be hacked in less than a second by hackers. To keep your private information safe, make strong and safe passwords for all your online accounts. The longer the password, the more difficult it is for others to figure out (Khalife, 2023).

2. Only share necessary information. Facebook and other social media sites are helpful in staying connected with your community, as well as friends and family. You can keep your information safe by making your profile private and accepting friend requests only from people you know in person. It's important to think about what you share on Facebook. Don't tell people personal things like when you were born or where you live (Khalife, 2023).

3. Check the things your apps are allowed to do on your phone. Some apps ask for permission to do things they don't need to do. You can check which apps are allowed to do certain things on your phone by going to the Settings menu. Keep scrolling down on your phone until you find a list of all the apps. Click on each application to check the permission you have given them and adjust it if necessary. You can change app permissions to only work when you're using the app, instead of all the time. If you don't use an app anymore, it's better to delete it (Khalife, 2023).

4. Watch out for scams that trick you into giving away personal information, commonly known as phishing. Phishing scams are lies that trick people into giving out their personal information. They make it seem like they come from a company that the person knows, such as a bank or a government group. Make sure to read your text messages and emails thoroughly before clicking on any links (Khalife, 2023).

5. Make sure you have the latest version of your computer software by updating them. Companies that make computers and phones are trying to fix bugs that cyber criminals on the internet like to use, especially in older software. If there is a new software for your device that has a new feature or makes it more secure, make sure to accept it (Khalife, 2023).

6. Make sure your connection is safe. Do not use public Wi-Fi to share personal information like your address or banking details, even if the website says it is safe. When you use Wi-Fi at cafes, libraries, or airports, they are not as safe as your Wi-Fi at home. Public Wi-Fi is good for browsing the internet, reading news, and watching or listening to things online (Khalife, 2023).

Outcome of the lesson:

Learning how to protect your personal information online can help improve education in many different ways. If students know how to keep their privacy safe online, it will help them be better digital citizens. This is extra important because technology is changing a lot. One can help students use the internet safely by teaching them how to keep their personal information private online. Another benefit of knowing about online privacy is that it will help students improve their ability to think critically. Students will study how companies collect personal information on them on the internet. Then, they will use this knowledge to make good choices about how they behave online. Understanding how to protect themselves online will also be valuable for future job opportunities, especially in technology related careers. As businesses get bigger, it will be really important to know how to keep personal information safe online.