Online privacy has been a concern since the first online account was created. Recently, Google announced the launch of Google Dashboard. This is a new service that summarizes the data stored with any Google account. Once you log in to any of your Google accounts, there is a link to Google Dashboard in the “personal settings” of the “my account” page.
Your private data will be collected and stored if you go online. Here is one way for you to control at least one aspect of it.
- Google Dashboard contains a summary of Dashboard in under three minutes.
- Dashboard shows what Google knows about you: Critics say Google makes some privacy progress, but call for more transparency
- Google Dashboard Changes Our Thinking About Privacy Do we protect or do we manage our digital information?
- Two resources for people who think their online rights or privacy have been violated:
Electronic Privacy Information Center was established in 1994 draw attention to online emerging “civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.” EPIC also publishes an online newsletter on civil liberties in the information age – the EPIC Alert. They also publish reports and even books about privacy, open government, free speech, and other important topics related to civil liberties.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation protects freedom in the online world. The EFF defends “free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights.”
Cool fact from this 4Cast:
Google said the tool monitors more than 20 commonly used products, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Web History, YouTube, Picasa, Talk, Reader, Alerts and Google Latitude.
