Cybermedicine, Telemedicine, and Data Protection in the United States

This chapter provides an overview of law relating to online and Internet medical practice, data protection, and consumer information privacy. It provides a comprehensive overview of federal (HIPAA) and state privacy laws, concluding that both those legal resources leave gaps in consumer protection and provide no real penalties for violating the laws. The authors educate the readers to the legal and data protection problems consumers will encounter in purchasing medical and health services on the Internet. Furthermore, the authors recount some actual case studies and follow those with expert advice for those Internet consumers who wish to be not merely informed, but also safe. The authors not only educate the readers to the lack of protection afforded to them but also advocate throughout the chapter that the United States must enact more federal protection for the consumer in order to deter privacy violations and punish criminal, negligent, and wilful violations of personal consumer privacy.

The Legal Framework for Data and Consumer Protection in Europe

This chapter will discuss the legal framework for consumer and data protection in Europe. Central to this discussion will be the law of the European Union (EU) on data and consumer protection.3 Recent years have seen the creation of legal frameworks in Europe which seek to secure the protection of consumers while simultaneously facilitating economic growth in the European Union. This chapter will outline the main sources of law which protect consumers and their privacy. This chapter will outline the important provisions in these sources of law and critically analyse them. The chapter will also point up the gaps and deficiencies in the consumer and data protection legal structures.

Cross Cultural Perceptions on Privacy in the United States, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Taiwan

In this chapter, the authors will briefly discuss some cross cultural concerns regarding Internet privacy. The authors believe that due to the cross cultural nature of the Internet itself, different cultures will tend to result in different concerns regarding Internet privacy. As such, there is no single system of protecting Internet privacy that may be suitable for all cultures. The authors also utilize focus groups from various countries spanning Asia and the United States to discover the differences between cultures. Hopefully an understanding of such differences will aid in future research on Internet privacy to take a more culture sensitive approach.

An Analysis of Online Privacy Policies of Fortune 100 Companies

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.

Privacy or Performance Matters on the Internet

This chapter introduces a situational paradigm as a means of studying online privacy. It argues that data subjects are not always opponent to data users. They judge contexts before disclosing information. This chapter proves it by examining online privacy concerns and practices with two contexts: technology platforms and users’ motivations. It explores gratifications of online photo album users in Taiwan, and finds the distinctive “staging” phenomenon under the theory of uses and gratifications, and a priori theoretical framework, the spectacle/performance paradigm. The users with “diffused audience” gratifications are concerned less about privacy but not disclose more of their information. Furthermore, it finds that users act differently in diverse platforms, implying that studying Internet as a whole is problematic. The author proposes that studying online privacy through the use of a situational paradigm will help better research designs for studying privacy, and assist in understanding of users’ behaviors among technology platforms.

Privacy Control and Assurance

Protecting personal information while Web surfing has become a struggle. This is especially the case when transactions require a modicum of trust to be successfully completed. E-businesses argue that they need personal information so they can create viable data to tailor user interactions and provide targeted marketing. However; users are wary of providing personal information because they lack trust in e-businesses’ personal information policies and practices. E-businesses have attempted to mitigate user apprehension and build a relationship base in B2C transactions to facilitate the sharing of personal information. Some efforts have been successful. This chapter presents survey results that suggest a relationship between gender and how users control personal information. The findings suggest that e-businesses should modify information and privacy policies to increase information and transactional exchanges.

A Taxonomic View of Consumer Online Privacy Legal Issues, Legislation, and Litigation

In this chapter, consumer online privacy legal issues are identified and discussed. Followed by the literature review in consumer online privacy legislation and litigation, a relational model is presented to explore the relationship of the issues, legal protections, and the remedies and risks for not complying with the legal requirements. Two survey studies are used to reinforce the vital need for a stronger role by the government and business community as well as the privacy awareness from online consumers themselves. This chapter is concluded with a vital call for consumer privacy education and awareness and government and legislators’ attention and timely responses with legislation that protects consumers against those who would misuse the technology.

A Profile of the Demographics, Psychological Predispositions, and Social/Behavioral Patterns of Computer Hacker Insiders and Outsiders

This chapter looks at the literature—myths and realities—surrounding the demographics, psychological predispositions, and social/behavioral patterns of computer hackers, to better understand the harms that can be caused to targeted persons and property by online breaches. The authors suggest that a number of prevailing theories regarding those in the computer underground (CU)—such as those espoused by the psychosexual theorists—may be less accurate than theories based on gender role socialization, given recent empirical studies designed to better understand those in the CU and why they engage in hacking and cracking activities. The authors conclude the chapter by maintaining that online breaches and online concerns regarding privacy, security, and trust will require much more complex solutions than currently exist, and that teams of experts in psychology, criminology, law, and information technology security need to collaborate to bring about more effective real-world solutions for the virtual world.

Current Measures to Protect E-Consumers' Privacy in Australia

The current measures to protect e-consumers’ privacy in Australia include (i) regulation/legislation; (ii) guidelines; (iii) codes of practice; and (iv) activities of consumer associations and the private sector. However; information about the outcomes of such measures has not been sufficiently reported; whereas privacy incidents have increased. Some policy implications for e-consumer protection are drawn from the analysis. Firstly; national privacy legislation should widen its coverage. Secondly; uniform regulations and guidelines could contribute to providing equal protection to e-consumers. Thirdly; guidelines and codes of practice need to be supported by legislation and a proper compliance regime. Corporate social responsibility by e-retailers is also required for effective adoption of self-regulatory measures. Fourthly; consumer education is important to enhance consumer awareness of online privacy risks and their ability to deal with such incidents. Finally; a combination of legal frameworks; technological; and human-behaviour related measures is more likely to address online privacy issues effectively.

Google

What began as simple homepages that listed favorite Web sites in the early 1990’s have grown into some of the most sophisticated, enormous collections of searchable, organized data in history. These Web sites are search engines—the golden gateways to the Internet—and they are used by virtually everyone. Search engines, particularly Google, log and stamp each and every search made by end-users and use that collected data for their own purposes. The data is used for an assortment of business advantages, some which the general population is not privy too, and most of which the casual end-user is typically unfamiliar with. In a world where technology gives users many conveniences, one must weigh the benefits of those conveniences against the potential intrusions of personal privacy. Google’s main stream of revenue is their content-targeted “AdWords” program. AdWords—while not a direct instance of personal privacy breach—marks a growing trend in invading personal space in order to deliver personalized content. Gmail, Google’s free Web-based e-mail service, marked a new evolution in these procedures, scanning personal e-mail messages to deliver targeted advertisements. Google has an appetite for data, and their hundreds of millions of users deliver that every week. With their eyes on moving into radio, television, print, establishing an Internet service provider, furthering yet the technology of AdWords, as well as creating and furthering technology in many other ventures, one must back up and examine the potential privacy and intrusion risks associated with the technological conveniences being provided.