Privacy

=Lesson: What's The Big Deal About Internet Privacy? =

A principal at a fictional school has hired a research company to collect information that will help us make the school better for you. Several observers will watch students and record where each of you goes, how many times you go there, and how long you stay there, including to the water fountain, the office, the bathroom, the cafeteria, and to visit another student. You will be identified only by a number. At the end of the day, the research company will put all the data together and write a report for the principal.


 * Who else might see the information?
 * Can people’s identification numbers be linked to their name by the principal?
 * Do you think any of the information should remain private?
 * Do you think you will be allowed to review the data collected about you?


 * Would you be you satisfied with the explanation that the information is needed “to make the school better,” or do you want to know more about how the information will be used?

**This story** is not true; no one will be collecting information about you in the school. However, this is the kind of information that many websites collect whenever you visit them. Companies can learn all kinds of things about you, based on where you go and what you do when you’re online.**REVIEW** the vocabulary word //anonymous//. Explain to students that most people think no one knows who they are or what they do when they are online. Believing they are anonymous is why people sometimes do things online that they would not do face to face. However, it’s nearly impossible to be completely anonymous online.



Key Vocabulary

 * **Anonymous:** Someone who can’t be identified based on the information at hand
 * **Cookies:** Small computer text files placed in your computer by the sites you visit that collect information about your computer system and the webpages you view
 * **Third Party:** A person or company other than you and the owner of the website you visit
 * **Privacy Options:** Choices a website might give you about what it does with your information

Your Assignment:

Almost every website has a privacy policy. They can usually find this by looking at the small print at the bottom of the home page and finding the words “Privacy” or “Privacy Policy.”

Go to one of these assigned websites and find their privacy policy.

PBS Kids: http://pbskids.org/go/ How Stuff Works: http://www.howstuffworks.com/ About.com: http://www.about.com/ Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Nick.com: http://www.nick.com/ Teennick: http://www.teennick.com/ ASPCA Kids: http://www.aspca.org/aspcakids/

Check off the words that they find on the site, and answer the questions about personal information and privacy options.


 * In** pairs, of students share what you found out about the kinds of information their sites collect, and how they use it. Does their site collect personal information? Does it use cookies, or give out data to third parties? Does it give them a choice of privacy options? This information is generally included in the privacy policy, though not always. Then ask students what they think about their site’s privacy policy. Remind them to think back to the real-world privacy scenario about their school.

Do you care that the site collects information about you? Why or why not? Some students may say that they don’t mind, but they want to know the site is doing it, or that they don’t like strangers having personal information about them.

Does it make a difference what kind of information a site collects about you? Make sure students understand the difference between sites that collect personal information such as names, addresses, and email, and sites that collect other information about things they do on the Web but keep the identities of their visitors anonymous.

What do you get in return for the information? Is the exchange worth it to you? Students should understand that what they receive is free access to the website. In some cases, sites sell the data to make money, which supports the site. However, not every site does this, and some sites find other ways to support themselves.

Key Vocabulary

 * **Anonymous:** Someone who can’t be identified based on the information at hand
 * **Cookies:** Small computer text files placed in your computer by the sites you visit that collect information about your computer system and the webpages you view
 * **Third Party:** A person or company other than you and the owner of the website you visit
 * **Privacy Options:** Choices a website might give you about what it does with your information