Privacy Information

privacy image Privacy Information is a project of Consumer Action, a national non-profit consumer advocacy and education organization. The legal right to privacy has been recognized in the U.S. since the late 1890s, but its roots go back to this country’s founding. The Privacy Information Project focuses on enhancing personal privacy awareness, spreading knowledge about consumer privacy rights, sharing ways to control who has access to your personal information and protecting yourself from online fraud, telemarketing abuses, social pretexting scams and more.

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News

February 24, 2021 The best law you’ve never heard of
February 24, 2021 A.I. here, there, everywhere
February 23, 2021 Consumer Action’s ‘Share Financial Data with Care’ project to educate FinTech app users to be ‘security savvy’
February 19, 2021 Child protection nonprofit alleges ‘manipulative’ upselling with math game
February 18, 2021 Civil rights groups ask Biden to oppose facial recognition

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CA News & Special Reports

CA News Logo Consumer Action INSIDER - February 2021 The February 2021 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER introduces the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new debt collection rule and what it will mean for debtors; highlights our latest COVID-19 Educational Project webinar, on disaster preparedness and recovery; guides internet users on what they can do to delete their personal information from the web; details our recent coalition efforts; shares the latest happenings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and announces new settlements posted in our Class Action Database. (Monday, February 01, 2021)

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Five Recent Publications

Privacy and security when using FinTech apps Share financial data with care.

This fact sheet gives FinTech users the knowledge to make wise decisions when choosing and using FinTech apps, take effective steps to keep their financial account data safe, and understand their options if something goes wrong. (Our companion guide, What you need to know about how FinTech apps work, offers an overview of financial technology and what privacy and security considerations users should be aware of before choosing and using digital financial tools.)

What you need to know about how FinTech apps work Share financial data with care. Financial technology can offer attractive benefits for consumers who want to take their personal finances digital. But, like all internet-based tools and services, FinTech apps need to be chosen and used with care. This publication explains the types of FinTech tools available, how they work, and what that means for your data privacy and security. (Our companion guide, Privacy and security when using fintech apps, offers actionable tips for managing and protecting your data.)

Take control: Customizing your social media privacy settings (Korean).

이 지문은 대중적으로 사용되는 SNS (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube)이용 시 본인이 원하는 단계의 신상 정보 보호를 설정할 수 있는 정보와 자료를 담고 있습니다.

This publication explains how to achieve your desired level of privacy on the most popular social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube) and provides useful general privacy tips, tools and resources.

Personalized privacy: Customizing your Facebook settings (Korean).

전 세계에서 가장 큰 SNS를 사용할 때는 신상 정보를 신중히 고려해야 합니다. 이 지문은 페이스북 이용 중 신상 정보 보호 방법들(기본 설정, 고급 설정)을 상세하게 담고 있습니다.

On the world’s largest social network, a prudent approach to privacy is critical. This publication provides detailed instructions for using the various Facebook privacy management tools—both basic and advanced.

Take control: Customizing your social media privacy settings (Spanish).

Esta publicación explica cómo ajustar la configuración de privacidad al nivel que usted prefiera en las redes sociales más populares (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter y YouTube). También incluye consejos, herramientas y otros recursos de privacidad.

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Recommended Publications

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Data Privacy Laws: What You Need to Know. There is no one comprehensive federal law that governs data privacy in the United States. Instead, there is a complex patchwork of sector-specific and medium-specific laws, including laws and regulations that address telecommunications, health information, credit information, financial institutions, and marketing.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Tech Support Scams and Tricks. Con artists behind tech support scams impersonate reputable technology companies to interact with would-be victims over telephone, via websites or by means of rogue software. The logic of such schemes is to persuade the user that their computer is infected with viruses, generating suspicious network activity or having system activation issues. The goal is to trick victims into paying for troubleshooting services they don’t need.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Chronology of Data Breaches. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has been tracking breaches since 2005 and publishes a Chronology of Data Breaches.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Patient’s Guide to HIPAA. This guide explains how you can use the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect your medical privacy.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Preparing Millennials to Lead in Cyberspace. Young adults, also known as millennials (ages 18 to 26), hold the key to close the cyber talent gap. Having grown up in a digital environment, millennials are well positioned for these cybersecurity careers, since they are at the stage when they need to choose a profession and will be in the workforce for several decades. This survey reviews U.S. millennials’ career interests, level of career preparedness and their online attitudes and behaviors.

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