chi.mp

The teen who lost her job after calling her work “boring” on Facebook, or the woman fired for calling her boss “pervvy” in a status update did not suffer from a deficit in privacy.  They were fired, rightly or wrongly, for poor judgment.  Most people understand that their posted content exists in the public domain.  Taking precautions on Facebook, and being careful what you disclose anywhere on the web is necessary.

It’s what happens behind your back that irks the privacy advocates at chi.mp and elsewhere.  Consumer Reports released a report earlier this month, outlining the varying degrees of data that currently exist on you, available for purchase by landlords, employers, creditors, service companies, and curious citizens.  What the report does not include is the level of “anonymized” data that has been aggregated without your consent.  Each time you disclose an interest, income, or medical condition, there’s a chance this information is being sold and aggregated.

Even anonymized data can be potentially linked to you, and the definitions of personally identifiable information are open to various interpretations.  The personal data marketplace that exists seeks to profit from your needs and buying interests.

Twitter sent out a new Terms of Service this week, clarifying that users own their own data.  We applaud the announcement, but the subsequent actions must be watched carefully.  Data ownership on the web is a complex issue.  It’s not as simple as “it’s your data,” because your data is being replicated, repurposed, and added to on an ongoing basis.

At chi.mp, privacy is equally about what we do and don’t do.

We do:

• Give you a free domain that’s yours
• Offer personas so you can selectively share yourself
• Devote resources to giving you increasing control over your online identity
• Advocate Data Portability and the Open Web

We don’t:

• Sell your data to anyone
• Utilize your contacts in any way
• Advertise on your public profile

As much as possible, read the small print in Privacy Policies and Terms of Service.  Use Twitter and Facebook to ask questions and question the policies of sites and services in the open.

The personalized web is still a new frontier.  Until the norms and regulations are established, be wise.