Online privacy is important, yet it feels difficult to manage the amount of information about you that exists on the web. Companies routinely ask you to accept their privacy policies. However, studies show people rarely read the privacy statements or understand exactly what information they’re agreeing to share. Not knowing what’s in these statements makes it harder to protect your privacy and personal data.
Read privacy policies
There’s no way around it. To understand what the site or app is actually doing with your information and what options you have to control its use, you have to read the policy.
Before consenting to the policy, you should know:
- What information about you is being collected?
- Is your data collected and stored securely?
- Is your data shared with third parties, law enforcement or government?
Yes, many privacy policies are long, full of legal language and difficult to read, but currently there are no other options for delivering this information. Carefully read through all options and choose the settings that fit your comfort level for sharing, if the site or app allows customization.
LGFCU makes sure our privacy notice is short and easy to read so you can understand how your information is used.
Manage your online cookies
Cookies are small files containing information websites store on your computer or device. They make your next visit to a website easier and make the site more useful to you. Cookies remember information about your visit, like your preferred language and other custom settings. Of course, businesses also use them to collect data to show you ads and information related to your usage.
When you visit a website typically you receive a notice informing you about a site’s use of cookies, terms of service and privacy policies.
Many websites now offer you options to choose how much data you want to share (or not) through cookies. This gives you the opportunity to control what you share. So, the next time you see a button asking you to “accept cookies,” take the time to get more information before pressing that button!
It’s also a good idea to delete cookies from your browser regularly. It’s easy to do — just clear your browser history.
It’s crucial to stay up to date with the ever-changing digital world. These tips can help you better protect your privacy.
The advice provided is for informational purposes only.
