Internet Privacy Policies of the Largest International Companies in 2004 and 2006

2008 ◽  
pp. 77-94
Author(s):  
Alan R. Peslak ◽  
Norbert Jurkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Internet Usage ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
Internet Privacy ◽  
Fair Information Practices ◽  
The Right To Privacy ◽  
Information Practices ◽  
The Right ◽  
Privacy Issues ◽  
International Companies

This article is a review of Internet privacy policies of the world’s largest companies. The report begins with a background on the right to privacy and privacy issues arising out of Internet usage. Attempts to regulate Internet privacy and self-regulatory effectiveness are also reviewed. The methodology for this study is to update and extend Internet privacy analysis by analyzing websites of the largest international companies (the Forbes International 100) for inclusion of fair information practices. In addition, a collection of consumer centered practices is defined and studied. The study was initially done in 2004 but the same companies were revisited and reviewed in 2006. Though there was some improvement in results over the approximately two year period, the general finding remains that within the Forbes International 100, fair information practices and consumer centered privacy policies are not being closely followed. It is also found that large US firms are more likely to publish a privacy policy on their website than non-US firms. Finally, if a large international firm does publish a privacy policy on its website, the level of compliance with fair information practices and consumer centered policies is not significantly different between US and non-US firms. Implications of the study for researchers and practitioners are reviewed.

Progress in Internet Privacy Policies

2011 ◽  
pp. 224-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan R. Peslak
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Commerce ◽  
Federal Trade Commission ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
Internet Privacy ◽  
Fair Information Practices ◽  
Information Practices

Privacy on the Internet has been of increasing concern with the explosive growth of electronic commerce. A series of past surveys by the Federal Trade Commission and other organizations measured the implementation of fair information practices and industry self-regulation of privacy. This report includes two important additional factors in the review—enforcement and simplicity. Using historical studies and this more comprehensive analysis, this article reviews the current Internet privacy polices of the 50 largest U.S. companies in 2003 and updates this review for 2006.

An Analysis of Online Privacy Policies of Fortune 100 Companies

2009 ◽  
pp. 269-283
Author(s):  
Suhong Li
Keyword(s):  
Personal Information ◽  
Online Privacy ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Security Requirements ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Safe Harbor ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
Fair Information Practices ◽  
Fortune 100

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the current status of online privacy policies of Fortune 100 Companies. It was found that 94% of the surveyed companies have posted an online privacy policy and 82% of them collect personal information from consumers. The majority of the companies only partially follow the four principles (notice, choice, access, and security) of fair information practices. For example, most of the organizations give consumers some notice and choice in term of the collection and use of their personal information. However, organizations fall short in security requirements. Only 19% of organizations mention that they have taken steps to provide security for information both during transmission and after their sites have received the information. The results also reveal that a few organizations have obtained third-party privacy seals including TRUSTe, BBBOnline Privacy, and Safe Harbor.

scholarly journals Privacy Types

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-58
Author(s):  
Majeed Mohamed Fareed Majeed
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Right To Privacy ◽  
The Right To Privacy ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
The Right To Know ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Privacy Issues

The right to privacy is one of the most problematic rights. In the absence of any consensus on a clear theoretical basis for the concept of privacy; there is hardly a link, reliable, between the various issues and topics, which are included under this right. Privacy claims are used to defend rights that seem quite divergent, such as the right not to be monitored by phone calls, and the right to know what a telecom company keeps of personal data for its customers. The absence of a clear theoretical basis for the right to privacy is exacerbated by the fact that it is exposed to multiple dangers in the era of the massive expansion of the use of the Internet and the development of its applications. The actuality of material, described in the article, conditioned the urgent necessities of society simply to settle a question about privacy types and their appliance in the society. Theoretical and legal conversations about the relationship between taws and privacy were investigated in the article. This paper makes a contribution to a forward-looking privacy framework by examining the privacy impacts of six new and emerging technologies. It examines the privacy issues that each of these technologies present and contends that there are seven distinct sorts of privacy. This contextual investigation data propose that a loose conceptualization of privacy might be important to keep up a smoothness that empowers new measurements of privacy to be identified, that will be understood and addressed so as to adequately react to quick technological evolution.

An Analysis of Online Privacy Policies of Fortune 100 Companies

Cyber Crime ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 1276-1291
Author(s):  
Suhong Li ◽  
Chen Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Personal Information ◽  
Online Privacy ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Security Requirements ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Safe Harbor ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
Fair Information Practices ◽  
Fortune 100

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the current status of online privacy policies of Fortune 100 Companies. It was found that 94% of the surveyed companies have posted an online privacy policy and 82% of them collect personal information from consumers. The majority of the companies only partially follow the four principles (notice, choice, access, and security) of fair information practices. For example, most of the organizations give consumers some notice and choice in term of the collection and use of their personal information. However, organizations fall short in security requirements. Only 19% of organizations mention that they have taken steps to provide security for information both during transmission and after their sites have received the information. The results also reveal that a few organizations have obtained third-party privacy seals including TRUSTe, BBBOnline Privacy, and Safe Harbor.

Protecting Privacy Online: Is Self-Regulation Working?

2000 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary J. Culnan
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Federal Trade Commission ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Progress Report ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Consumer Privacy ◽  
Fair Information Practices ◽  
Information Practices

The author assesses the extent to which 361 consumer-oriented commercial Web sites post disclosures that describe their information practices and whether these disclosures reflect fair information practices. Although approximately 67% of the sites sampled post a privacy disclosure, only 14% of these disclosures constitute a comprehensive privacy policy. The study was initiated by the private sector as a progress report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and is one in a series of efforts designed to assess whether consumer privacy can be protected through industry self-regulation or whether legislation is required. Although the FTC does not recommend legislation at this time, the study suggests that an effective self-regulatory regime for consumer privacy online has yet to emerge.

scholarly journals An Imbalance Of Power: The Readability Of Internet Privacy Policies

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle A. Cadogan
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Privacy Policy ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Internet Privacy ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

The gap is growing. While collection techniques by today’s business marketing professionals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, there is also an alarming lack of knowledge by Internet sur-fers about how companies track their online movements and use the information. The privacy policy is the document that provides the information regarding how the organization handles the dataflow in their organizations. The policy should answer the consumer’s question, “What is being done with the information that I provide when I am on the Internet?” But how understandable are these policies? This research project is a multiple case study in which the privacy policies of three organizations are evaluated in terms of their readability and their user-friendliness. The three online organizations selected include PrivacyAlliance.org, Dell.com, and Amazon.com.

Online Privacy Issues

2009 ◽  
pp. 1086-1092
Author(s):  
Hy Sockel ◽  
Kuanchin Chen ◽  
Louis K. Falk
Keyword(s):  
Personal Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personal Privacy ◽  
Right To Privacy ◽  
The Right To Privacy ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Legal Constraints ◽  
The Right ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Privacy Issues

Businesses need to understand privacy conditions and implications to ensure that they are in compliance with legal constraints and do not step on consumers’ rights for privacy. Personal identifiable information (PII) and data can have innate importance to an organization. Some organizations view certain privacy features as essential components of their product or services; for example, profile data is often used to tailor products specifically for their customers’ likes and needs. PII can also be used for less-honorable endeavors such as identity theft, phishing, political sabotage, character annihilation, spamming, and stalking. One of the core issues of privacy is: Who actually owns the data, the holder of the data, or the subject (persons) of the data? The answer depends on many criteria: the users’ perspective, the environment that privacy is addressed, and how the data are collected and used. Privacy issues arise because nearly every activity on the Internet leaves traces somewhere. This audit trail has caused many people to be concerned that this data may be inappropriately used. The paradox is that many businesses are also concerned for a different reason. In this age of legislation and litigation, a “minor” misstep or software glitch could easily put businesses in a position of extreme jeopardy. A data breach at T.J. Maxx that allowed hackers to download over 45 million credit/debit card numbers could literally bankrupt the organization. The damage and fines could easily total more than $4.5 billion; some have the figure as high as $8 billion (Ou, 2007). It is important to state that the governments’ approach to the protection of personal privacy is neither equal nor universal. Some localities extend protection much further than others. In 1972, California amended its constitution to specifically include the construct of “a resident’s inalienable right to privacy.” Within the United States, court decisions dealing with privacy have fairly closely upheld two principles (Freedman, 1987): 1. The right to privacy is NOT an absolute. An individual’s privacy has to be tempered with the needs of society; and 2. The public’s right to know is superior to the individual’s right of privacy. However, some large communities were very slow in becoming involved; Japan did not pass its major protection law (“the Act on the Protection of Personal Information”) to protect consumers and to regulate business until 2005 (Yamazaki, 2005).

Information Privacy

2011 ◽  
pp. 81-100
Author(s):  
Gerald C. Kane ◽  
Kathy Stewart Schwaig ◽  
Veda C. Storey
Keyword(s):  
Private Information ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Information Privacy ◽  
Privacy Policies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Virtual Communication ◽  
Information Practices ◽  
Privacy Issues ◽  
Privacy Statements

The acquisition and use of personal information by large corporations continues to be a leading issue in the age of virtual communication and collaboration. This research reviews and analyzes the privacy policies of large US companies to evaluate the substance and quality of their stated information practices. Six factors are identified that indicate the extent to which a firm is dependent upon consumer personal information, and therefore, more likely to develop high quality privacy statements. The study’s findings provide practical and theoretical implications for information privacy issues, particularly for consumers who need to decide whether to disclose their personal identifying information to firms. The research also highlights the complexity and challenges of managing personal private information.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document