Internet Privacy Awareness

The internet can be deceptive. It may feel as though your communication is private. However, it is not. You are not anonymous. Whatever you do on the internet is recorded on the memory of a computer somewhere. Other people (people that you do not know) may be able to see/read information about you. Email that you write to one person may mistakenly (or purposefully) be forwarded to another. Offhand or disparaging remarks and opinions you have written on a computer may come back  to haunt you years later (or sooner). Most everything you do on the internet leaves a footprint.

It is just as important to respect the privacy of others. Whatever people share in private should stay private and not be shared with other individuals. People's personal information is their business and only they are the ones who have the right to share it.

You shouldn't expect that you will have privacy when using the internet at school. The same is pretty much true for people using an employer's computer at work. Internet use at schools is monitored. Every URL (web address) you visit is recorded on a system server. This is one good reason not to let other individuals use your password. Your internet use may even be traced by other Internet Service Providers. Schools have a legal obligation to protect students and this is why internet use may be monitored. Employers may monitor internet use in the workplace to protect business interests and maintain worker productivity.

Email may also have limited privacy and be monitored. Different organizations have different policies regarding email privacy. In some cases, email files will be examined only if there is some reasonable expectation that there has been a violation of the law, or that there has been evidence of some misuse. Furthermore, schools will usually permit parents to have access to their children's files. Logs of incoming and outgoing emails are usually kept on a system server.

A good policy is NOT to write, send an email, or visit a site if you would be uncomfortable having the information appear on the front page of a newspaper or be featured on the evening news.