How to Protect Online Information Exchanges Through the Law

Advances in technology have made it much easier to retrieve, store and share financial and personal information, especially through the Internet. Such exchanges of information may be convenient, but they can also compromise our privacy. Fortunately, the law is on our side when it comes to being able to protect the online information exchanges that we engage in every day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access
• Documentation supporting your claim of your information being compromised, if applicable

Learn How the Law Can Protect Your Online Information

1. The Federal Trade Commission Act requires companies to comply with guarantees made in their privacy policies regarding what personal data is collected online and how it will be used, particularly during information exchanges with third parties. To learn more, see the appropriate section of the FTC Web site (see Resources below).
2. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act gives eight federal agencies the power to protect your online information placed with banks, insurance companies and other providers of financial services. The Federal Trade Commission Web site gives more details (see Resources below).
3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission if you believe that your personal or financial information has been misused (see Resources below).

Take Steps to Protect Your Information Online

4. Check for a padlock icon on your browser before you enter any financial information online. This icon is an indication that the Web site uses SSL (Secured Sockets Layer) technology to authenticate the identity of the site and to encrypt your information.
5. Be careful about clicking on links in an unsolicited email, even if it appears to come from a company known to you. Unscrupulous individuals can be incredibly clever about creating "spoof" emails designed to look like they're from a known source, but the links actually direct to a completely different URL in an attempt to collect your personal information.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't rely solely on the law to protect your information online or elsewhere. Being careful with the information you provide and who you trust with it will safeguard you more effectively and prevent a problem in the first place.