Module 3: Tracking

What steps can you take to make sure you have control of your online information? Why is it important to lock privacy settings and set strong passwords?

One thing we did in the BEd program was to do an incognito search of our name to see what came up. Doing this as a first step may reveal some holes in your privacy where you did not expect. For example, upon searching my name, the first page of results that appear are unrelated to me. If results relating to me did appear, such as Facebook or Instagram accounts, that is a good prompt to look at your privacy settings and adjust them accordingly. 

Another step is to look at all your personal online accounts and change their privacy settings as needed. Looking over your privacy settings can show where you have control of your information and how much you want to reveal to the public (if anything). 

Using an incognito browser may also be a viable choice for controlling your online information, as Mozilla explains that using one limits the amount of data websites may collect about you. Different browsers may have different protections in place, but Firefox and Chrome's incognito mode automatically deletes cookie data when the window is closed and blocks tracking cookies on every website that you visit. Switching to an incognito browser can reduce the amount of information that is companies are freely collecting about you, giving you greater control of your online data. 

Having strong (and varied!) passwords are a good preventative measure to prevent hacking or stolen data. Tobi Cohen (2018) writes on EdCan Network that with the development of technology, personal information has become a "hot commodity", which means companies and individuals deem it valuable for their benefit. If your information is easy to take, it will likely be taken from you. Having strong passwords and privacy settings limits the amount of information that can be taken from you and protects it from being monetized or used in ways that you did not give explicit permission. 

References

Cohen, T. (28 November 2018). Educating Kids About Digital Privacy. EdCan Network, retrieved 25 April 2021 from https://www.edcan.ca/articles/educating-kids-about-digital-privacy/ 

Imagine Easy Solutions. (7 August 2014). What Are Tracking Cookies? YouTube, retrieved 25 April 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n2Syt0P4js&t=179s [video]

Mozilla. (2021). Incognito browser: What it really means. Retrieved 25 April 2021 from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browsers/incognito-browser/