Consumers warned about taking care about the information they share online

In one of a series of warnings consumers have once again been urged to carefully consider the information that they share with others online as part of the APPA annual Privacy Awareness Week.

Over recent years social networking websites have become more and more popular amongst consumers of all ages. These sites have provided consumers with a lot of fun, entertainment, useful features, and convenient resources, enabling them to have fun, communicate, socialise, and more. However, they can also pose a danger because of the high level of information that some are prepared to share with others online over these social networking sites.

Recently consumers have been warned once again to be mindful about the details that they share online with others – often complete strangers – via social networking sites. The warning was issued by Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) as part of their annual Privacy Awareness Week.

Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, stated:  “Social networking is entrenched in our daily lives but many people seem to be unaware of the risks: default settings usually allow public access to information that is posted, so people continually risk their privacy , often without realising it. We’re not saying ‘don’t use it’. We just want Australians to know that there are steps they can take to restrict who sees their information so they can engage with social media safely.”

He added: “We want to hear from people who use social networking sites about how much they know and understand about privacy online and whether they read privacy policies. During Privacy Awareness Week, we’re urging people to take the time to review their privacy settings on the social networking sites they use. Make sure that you have the appropriate level of protection in place so that the choice about who sees your personal information is yours.”

Are you mindful about the details that you put on these sites?

Source – Oaic