Last week on Wednesday, Europe and U.S celebrated the Privacy online, so let is hope this good idea to spread to rest of the world. This is so important right that there are many NGOs exclusively to protect it. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Privacy_Day. The second with the incomplete title above was published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-wolpin/internationalprivacyday. The third was published at https://www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/get-involved/. The fourth was published at https://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2015/nr-c_150128_e.asp
Also known as Data Privacy Day, Occurs every January 28. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. It is currently 'celebrated' in the U.S., Canada, and 27 European countries. In Europe it is referred to as Data Protection Day. Privacy Day's educational initiative originally focused on raising awareness among users about the importance of protecting the privacy of their personal information online. In addition to its educational initiative, Privacy Day promotes events and activities that stimulate the development of tech tools that promote individual control over personal information, encourage compliance with privacy laws, and create dialogues among stakeholders interested in advancing data protecting and privacy. The day was initiated by the Council of Europe to be first held in 2007. Two years later, The U.S. House of Representatives declared January 28 National Data Privacy Day.
You probably know data is collected about you every time you visit a website, shop online, engage in social sharing, enable location services or send digital messages and email. But according to a recent global study by Microsoft, most cybers users still do not feel they are aware of the information that is being collected about them. So how do you protect yourself from undesired data collection, and your collected data from misuse or misappropriation? So it is up to us to understand our own privacy rights and how best to protect what is ours in cyberspace. If you are concerned about your data privacy, be willing to adjust your online habits. Sure, it is inconvenient having to lock all your house or car every time you leave it, but it is better than being robbed. Your personal data is just as if not more valuable, so it is worth giving up a little convenience to protect it.
Privacy Day is an international effort centered on respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust. Privacy Day's goals are to: raise awareness and educate consumers how their information may be collected and the benefits and risks of sharing personal data. Empower consumers to express their expectations for the use, protection and management of their data. Inspire through simple and actionable tips to more actively manage their online lives. Encourage and motivate users to consider the privacy implications of their online actions for themselves and others. Encourage businesses to be data stewards by being open and honest about how they collect, use and share personal information and clearly communicating any available privacy and security controls. Does the protection of data and privacy matter to you? If so, join us in raising awareness of Privacy. You have all the tools to be an effective advocate for protecting data and privacy online! Here are some of the things you can do : Be a leader on social media. Post privacy tips, or create your own messages. Get all your social media resources on this site. Attend a Privacy Day event. Networking events for privacy professionals. Share privacy resources. Print privacy tips sheets to display around the home computer or office, and other public gathering places like libraries and community centers. Discuss privacy with your family and friends. Have a "privacy talk" with your family and friends, reminding everyone not to overshare personal information online. Discuss other tips for using mobile devices and social networks responsibly. Use Privacy Day resources to guide the conversation.
A growing number of Canadians say they are concerned about privacy, according to a nw survey commissioned by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. The poll found that nine in ten Canadians were concerned about privacy. One in three (34%) said they are extremely concerned, up from 25% in 2012. "Canadians are telling us they are concerned about many privacy issues, for example, data breaches, identity theft, digital privacy and warrantless access to personal data held by tele companies," says Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien. He adds, "Canadians deeply value privacy, but fear they are losing the control they have over their personal information. It is imperative we find ways to enhance that sense of control so that people feel their privacy rights are being respected." While they expressed concerns about many issues, roughly half of Canadians said they do not have a good understand of what businesses and government will do with their personal information. "There are lessons to draw from those findings," says Commissioner Therrien. "Government departments and agencies need to respond to citizens expectations that they be transparent about how they collect and use personal information."
