In today’s world, we are more connected and share more than we ever have before. We use Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and the list goes on and on.
These services started and originally all appeal to us because we naturally are interested. As internet users grew more savvy, popularity of these services increased, more personal information, and the advertisers released the money at stake. Facebook alone generated 3.1 billion dollars in revenues from advertising companies, mind-blowing numbers from a company that didn’t exist 10 years ago.
Another example of how much personal information is worth is Google. Reputation.com, a privacy firm, has estimated that the information you provide to Google is worth $5,000 a year; however, they have no intentions of sharing the spoils. Though consumers must not seem to mind. ENISA, the European Network and Information Sharing Agency, states in a recent study that the average consumer values privacy at just 65 cents, very little compared to how much Google is profiting.
The value of privacy difference among companies and consumers leaves many worried. Luckily, there are easy ways to stay private. The simplest is just don’t login to online services, but that may be the hardest thing to do. Another step towards better privacy and security is to turn on private browsing. (In chrome, you just have to open an incognito window by pressing control+shift+n for Windows and command+shift+n for Macs.)
Finally, just remember what you post online will remain there and be available to everyone.
[Sources: threatpost.com, smartmoney.com, huffingtonpost.com] By John Gillis