Intro to Computer Science / Unit 10: Cybersecurity and Impacts of Computing
10.4 Privacy and Data
Notes
Privacy is control over your personal information. Companies and apps collect data such as location, searches, purchases and contacts.
- Personally identifiable information (PII) includes name, address, birthday and ID numbers.
- A digital footprint is the trail of data you leave online. Posts and photos can be copied and may last forever.
- Cookies are small files that websites store to remember you. Terms of service and privacy policies explain how data is used.
- Protect privacy: check app permissions, use privacy settings, share less, and think before posting.
- Data can be combined: a photo with location data plus a school logo can reveal where someone is.
Practice
What is a digital footprint?
Everything you post, search and share contributes to it.
Which is an example of PII?
PII can identify or locate a specific person.
A flashlight app asks for permission to read your contacts and location. What should you do?
A flashlight does not need contacts or location, so the extra permissions are a privacy risk.
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