Staying Safe Online

Following the rise of the internet in the late 1990s, organizations and governments established frameworks like the 1997 Information Infrastructure Task Force to define how personal information should be acquired and used.

The Facebook Beacon program and the use of 'zombie cookies' illustrate how companies have historically pushed the boundaries of user data collection, leading to legal challenges and privacy regulations.

Internet privacy is a subset of data privacy. It involves the tension between the convenience of personalized online services and the need to protect users from surveillance and data abuse.

Privacy is a safeguard against abuses of power. Even if a user is not doing anything wrong, surveillance can lead to the misuse of personal data by third parties or employers.

Websites utilize IP addresses and HTTP cookies to track user activity. While cookies facilitate site functionality, third-party tracking cookies are often used to compile extensive user profiles for advertising.