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4.4 Sharing Personal Information

on the Internet

As mentioned earlier, you can sometimes take personal actions online without fully realizing
the consequences of these actions. Once you know these risks, however, you can take steps to
protect yourself. Let’s take a look at common ways many people often disclose more personal
information than they should.

It may surprise you to learn that people you have never met may know where you live and
how long you have lived there. They may also know your past residences, your phone number,
your age and income, the number of children you have, their names and those of other rela-
tives, the products you buy, the magazines you read, your political views, your hobbies, and
the movies and games you enjoy.

Most of the people and companies who gather this information about you do not use it for
fraudulent purposes. They generally use it to create advertisements or special offers for prod-
ucts and services you might like. They may also be political pollsters or campaign workers
who use the information to solicit your support for their candidate, or they may be charitable
organizations that want you to contribute to a cause you care about or supported in the past.
However, they often entice you to disclose personal information by tying that personal infor-
mation to the possibility of winning a prize or helping others by completing surveys. They
may also play on your fear of not being able to return a product or obtain service if you do not
register a product.

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