Parents Christmas gift technology guide

If last year is any indication to this year, 85% of presents given to children were technology. Since then there have been many changes in privacy, and all the tools have received some big changes. Here are some of the changes, and some tips to help you set up your devices.

Warnings about holidays and “check-ins”

Risks of geo-tagging

Did you know that your smart phone could unknowingly be putting you in danger? A number of applications and social networking sites “Geotag” your location when you post or take pictures. Your privacy settings might also allow others to tag you at these locations!

This is a useful feature in certain circumstances. However, it does allow others to watch your every move. For example, Facebook allows you to do a simple “check in”.

Facial recognition on Facebook – Turn it off!

If we have a gripe with Facebook, it is the fact that whenever a new feature is released, it seems that the executive decision makers assume we all want the feature turned on by default…. and not tell us either by a private message, or post at log in… after all, they have the skills to do this. Why do we need to find out about these features though the media?

Facial recognition is one of these features. so here are some tips to better manage your ue of this feature.

Privacy 2: How do I protect my privacy?

As promised, here is the second article in the series on privacy.

We previously talked about why companies chose to know so much about us. We also talked very briefly about how to go about protecting your privacy online. This week, we will dig a bit deeper into what actual things you need to do to protect your privacy. here are some simple things that every web site tells you to do…

Privacy 1: Why do companies want to know so much about me?

Why do they do it?

Companies and organisations exist to do something. It is generally to sell goods (or services) for money, hopefully a profit. Marketing is a term used to identify and promote these products in such a way that will entice people to buy them. Companies regularly profile existing users of their products to see who buys them, and why. With the simple goal to then target other people who are similar in the hope that they might like to buy the products as well.

This is termed targeted marketing.

Targeted marketing is based on a profile that these companies have identified as people who like the product now – in the hope that others of the same mind will also buy the product. This article illustrates that this si not a new thing and how this has migrated into an online world.

Facebook Viruses, SPAM, and Phishing

According to a recent CNet article:

in 2009, 90% of email traffic is SPAM.

With Spammers and marketeers devising clever ways to target Facebook users and their friends, this will increase significantly. When you consider that in 2009 Facebook had around 150 million users, at the time of writing this has increased 450% to over 650 million – in around 2 years!

If you are like me, you get updates in your mail from friends who post. Sometimes these posts are automated, and the results of sneaky spammers.