Read The Privacy Policy
Many websites ask that you provide information such as a name
and email address to sign up for a newsletter, register for site
services, download software, or a variety of other reasons.
If a website requests that I submit such personal information,
the first thing I do is look for the site Privacy Policy or an
equivalent document. If the site doesn't have a Privacy Policy,
then I would be quite hesitant to provide my details. An
adequate Privacy Policy doesn't have to be some elaborate legal
document. A brief write up that outlines what information is
collected from site users, how the information will be used and
who will have access to the information is often quite sufficient.
There should be enough information in the Privacy Policy so that
you can easily decide whether you can comfortably provide personal
information. The policy should also provide an email address so
that you can make further enquires if you still have concerns.
Some sites may provide their privacy information as part of
their "About" page, or in a "Terms of Service" document. The
information might also be incorporated into the sign up page
itself.
Regardless of how the privacy information is delivered, one fact
should be paramount. You have the right to know what a site
intends to do with personal data you supply, and it is
reasonable to expect that the site will provide this information
freely and conspicuously.
Write-up by Brett M.Christensen
