Unfortunately only a small percentage of people find privacy policies (or "terms and conditions") easy to understand. Such a situation is not uncommon especially with commercial transactions, as the legal implications of slipshod data is potentially vast. However, when dealing online with a person or company that you do not know or trust, being unaware of your rights and responsibilities could mean that your personal data has the potential to be misused or shared.
Luckily, things appear to be about to change. Companies are increasingly aware of the implications of data theft and are more clued up about consumer distrust and dissatisfaction. Just as with any other form of marketing, attracting customers is made easier by engendering trust and honesty. It seems, therefore, that companies and businesses are becoming more user-friendly when sharing privacy statements with customers.
Privacy statements and policies online are often overlooked and poorly understood. Yet, they are there for the consumer to understand what their data is being collected for and what will happen to this valuable information once it is given.
Rob Leathern, a Jupiter Research Analyst, commented that "Neither consumers nor businesses effectively address online privacy issues." He goes on "in this increasingly complex world, even legitimate businesses will suffer when consumers' perceptions of the control and safety of their personal information online are damaged." In this way he is advocating and encouraging companies to bow to the wishes of consumers and make the whole interaction between them more user friendly, including security issues surrounding personal data. Businesses should clearly and explicitly share the processes and methods used for the gathering and use of personal and private data.
For further information and resources on identity theft, internet crime and online security visit the New Identity Theft website operated by Eric Hartwell.
> Privacy Software 
