‘Do Not Track’ Me

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Julianne Miller

I found an article in self magazine about the same old story of some aspect of someones life ruined from what was on their facebook. A women was on a disability leave after a diagnosis of depression. Her doctor’s had recommended that she go on trips and have nights out. She then posted pictures of her trips and nights out on her facebook. Her disability insurance ended up dropping her. The article also talks of a case about two teenagers who suffered from an eating disorder. They had to provide their online posts as evidence to prove whether or not their illness was biological or emotional and therefor covered or not covered by their insurer. What you put on the Internet could be held against you in the courts apparently. This leads to the idea of information collection. Should companies, potential employer and even advertisers be allowed to access what you post on your personal page?
The New York Tims recently reported news of the Do Not Track Online Act of 2011. The Senator of West Virgina claims “Consumers have a right to know when and how their personal and sensitive information is being used online-and most importantly to be able to say ‘no thanks’ when companies seek to gather that information without their approval.”
Recently various Internet browsers such as Google, Mozilla and Microsoft have created a privacy feature for users to opt out of their personal data being collected. With this feature Third party advertisers would be sent a signal that a users does not want to be contacted. As for collection of other sensitive information such as religious affiliation or medical condition, “the Commercial Privacy Bill of Right Act of 2011 required users to opt in…but did not call for a do not track mechanism.”
If any of the companies violate this law, the Federal Trade Commission would be able to pursue action against that company. This Act is in the process of being proposed to congress. It will interesting to see how this Do Not Track Online Act will pan out and affect the future of information collection.

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One Response to ‘Do Not Track’ Me

  1. laww says:
    May 11, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    I think it is absolutely outrageous that such whimsical websites such as Facebook, can be used as evidence in a court of law. It is also just as insane that one can be denied their medical insurance because of what they post.
    I did not know about the option to restrict the rights of companies to access one’s personal information, as I am sure many other people are unaware of it. As the public becomes more knowledgeable of the way social media sites can be made private, as well as how to use them responsibly, many of the problems, such as the ones presented here, can be avoided.
    However, I tend to wonder if someone denies their future employer the right to access their “personal” information on social media websites, will this alter the employer’s view of them? Could it possibly be that they will begin requesting the right to access these sites, ultimately resulting in one not getting hired or even being fired from their current place of employment? It sounds a bit crazy, but it is just as crazy to think a child may be denied medical insurance because their eating disorder is “biological or emotional.”
    It is absolutely necessary to teach our generation, as well as future generations, how to blog and use social media websites responsibly. Since it is likely impossible that they will ever truly disappear, and for good reason (they are a good source of information, a way to keep in touch, a way to stay up to date on what is going on in the world), if people can understand how to conduct themselves in a mature manner, hopefully problems can be resolved.
    Unfortunately, as with the cases above, it had nothing to do with being mature, so it is difficult to say how these people should have acted; they were doing what any other normal human being would do. In some circumstances, maybe it is best to do away with your facebook, tumblr, twitter, etc. though this is not always easy to do.

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