Thursday, May 13, 2004
Keeping people informed about privacy issues
Hmm, I just posted a comment to a "Have Your Say" page on the BBC News site, and was warned that my name & location (hopefully just city) would be published alongside my comments, and that the comments page would be visible to search engines. nice of them to tell me - but it would have been more helpful if they've done this before I submitted the post, or if they'd given me a chance to then withdraw my posting.
Reminds me of opening my MacOS software CD and finding a note that said "By opening this package you are agreeing to the license terms within...". The note was on the inside, only visible once I'd already opened the pack...
Privacy on the internet and the principle of informed consent means we need a pervasive "undo" option that lets us take a step back. I'm not concerned about my posting on the BBC site, but for others that warning page might just make them worry more than they would have done in the first place.
Hmm, I just posted a comment to a "Have Your Say" page on the BBC News site, and was warned that my name & location (hopefully just city) would be published alongside my comments, and that the comments page would be visible to search engines. nice of them to tell me - but it would have been more helpful if they've done this before I submitted the post, or if they'd given me a chance to then withdraw my posting.
Reminds me of opening my MacOS software CD and finding a note that said "By opening this package you are agreeing to the license terms within...". The note was on the inside, only visible once I'd already opened the pack...
Privacy on the internet and the principle of informed consent means we need a pervasive "undo" option that lets us take a step back. I'm not concerned about my posting on the BBC site, but for others that warning page might just make them worry more than they would have done in the first place.
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(c) 2003-2005 Russell Beale
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