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Access
The third principle of fair information guidelines, along (1) Notice, (2) Choice, and (4) Security. Refers to users' ability to view and contest the accuracy and completeness of data collected about them.
Affirmative Customization
Refers to a site's or a service provider's user of personal data to tailor or modify the content or design of the site to specifications affirmatively selected by a particular individual. For example, you may permit a shopping site to use the record of your book purchases to make recommendations of other publications that may interest you. The site will thus display a list of its recommendations every time you visit.
Refers to data that is combined together without releasing personally identifiable information. The statistic "70% of users of this Web site live in New York City" is an example of aggregated information.
Anonymity (also see Pseudonymity and Pseudonymous Profiling ) The Better Business Bureau's Online privacy seal program that certifies eligible Web sites, holding sites to baseline privacy standards. The program requires its licensees to implement certain fair information practices and to submit to various types of compliance monitoring in order to display a privacy seal on their Web sites.
Choice
The second principle of fair information guidelines, along with (1) Notice, (3) Access, and (4) Security.
Refers to companies' providing consumers with options regarding whether and how personal information collected from them may be used for purposes beyond those for which it was provided. Collection Commercial Online Service Completion and Support of Current Activity
Refers to a site's or a service provider's use of your personal data to
complete the activity for which it was provided, such as the provision of information, communications, or
interactive services -- for example, to return the results from a Web search, forward email, or place an order. Computer Information
Information about the computer system that the individual uses to access the network -- such as the IP number, domain name, browser type or operating system.
Consent
Content
A piece of information unique to you that your browser saves and sends back to a Web server when you revisit a Web site (the Web server is the computer that "hosts" a Web site that your browser downloads or "sees"). The server "tells" your browser where to put the cookie on the server. Cookies contain information such as log-in or registration information, online "shopping cart" information (your online buying patterns in a certain retail site), user preferences, what site you came from last, etc. CookieCentral provides detailed information on Internet cookies and how to stop them. Correction
CPNI
Consumer Proprietary Network Information, which applies to telephone usage data. Includes the location, duration, and frequency of phone calls.
Data Element An individual data entity, such as last name or telephone number.
Data Category A significant attribute of a data element or data set that may be used by a trust engine to
determine what type of element is under discussion, such as physical contact information. Data Mining (also see Online Profiling)
The practice of compiling information about Internet users by tracking their motions through Web sites, recording the time they spend there, what links they clink on and other details that the company desires, usually for marketing purposes.
Demographic and Socioeconomic Data
Data about an individual's characteristics -- such as gender, age,
and income. Digital Storm
A new generation of analytic tools, currently being developed by the FBI, to sift and link data from disparate sources. Currently, law enforcement agencies have access to a growing volume of digital information, which is often minimally protected. CDT's presentation on Digital Storm.
Disclosure
Refers to companies' practice of making your personal information available to third parties, e.g., marketing lists, other organizations that provide similar services, etc.
Down Stream Data Use
Refers to companies' practice of disclosing personal information collected from users to other parties "downstream" to facilitate a transaction. For example, a content provider may disclose your personal information to a shipping company that will deliver the order to your house. The content provider may also disclose your personal information to a billing or credit card company in order to charge you for the transaction. E-Mail Header
Transactional information that identifies the sender and recipient of a message, routing information, the date and time at which the message was sent, and the subject of the message.
Technology that scrambles digital content, with the use of a private code, for secure transmission.
Enforcement
A principle of fair information guidelines, along with (1) Notice, (2) Choice, (3) Access, and (4) Security. Refers to the use of a reliable mechanism to impose sanctions for noncompliance with the above information practices. The Federal Trade Commission has identified Enforcement as a critical ingredient in any government or self-regulatory program that seeks to ensure privacy online.
Equable Practice
An information practice that is very similar to another in that the purpose, recipients, and identifiable use are the same or more constrained than the original, and the other disclosures are not substantially different. For example, two sites with otherwise similar practices that follow different -- but similar
-- sets of industry guidelines.
Fair Information Practices
Privacy guidelines, which predate the online medium, that were enumerated in the 1973 report released by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which addressed privacy protections in the age of digital data collection. The principles -- (1) Notice, (2) Choice, (3) Access, and (4) Security have been developed and recognized by agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The 1998 FTC Report entitled "Records, Computers, and the Rights of Citizens" also identified Enforcement as one of the core fair information principles.
Fairness
A goal of Fair Information Practices, which requires a company to use personal information only for the purpose for which it was initially collected.
Financial Information (also see Purchase Information)
Information about an individual's finances, including account status and activity
information such as account balance, payment or overdraft history, and information about an individual's
purchase or use of financial instruments including credit or debit card information.
Note: Purchase Information alone does not constitute Financial Information.
Health Information
Personal data, which may be collected by a site or a service provider, about an individual's physical or mental health, sexual
orientation, use or inquiry into health care services or products, and purchase of health care services or
products.
Refers to a site's or a service provider's use of personal data to create or build a record on the particular individual or
computer for the purpose of compiling habits or personally identifiable information of that individual or
computer. For example, online stores may recommend products based on the visitor's purchasing history on the specific Web site or online in general.
Interactive Data
Data actively generated from or reflecting explicit interactions with a service provider
through its site -- such as queries to a search engine or logs of account activity. Limitation on Collection Refers to the established principle that collection of personal data should be limited to information that is necessary to complete a transaction. For instance, an online service provider that requires you to provide a copy of your tax returns as a condition of becoming a subscriber obviously collects more information than it requires to process a membership. When personally identifiable information is not necessary to support the initial activity, users should have the opportunity to restrict or deny its collection.
Location Data
Information that can be used to identify an individual's current physical location and track
her as the location changes. Navigation and Click-stream Data
Refers to user data passively generated by browsing the Internet. Includes information regarding the links on which a user clicks,
pages a user visits and the amount of time spent on each page. Notice
The first principle of fair information guidelines, along with (2) Choice, (3) Access, and (4) Security. Refers to data collectors' disclosure of their information practices prior to collecting personal information from consumers.
In the online context, notice means that Internet users learn from the online service provider or Web site whether and to what extent the service or site collects and uses their personal information. Informed Notice:
Notice of information practices cannot be truly effective unless it is clearly written and non-coercive. Users are "informed" when they know and understand who collects their personal information and the purposes for which it is collected.
Notice of information practices is particularly important when an Internet user participates in a "passive" activity under the illusion of anonymity; it is also crucial to provide advance notice when
personal information is used for purposes unrelated to those for which a user has initially disclosed it. Privacy Guidelines issued in late 1980 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Albeit broad, the OECD guidelines set up important standards for future governmental privacy rules; the guidelines
underpin most current international agreements, national laws, and self-regulatory policies.
One-Time Tailoring
Refers to a site's or a service provider's use of personal data to tailor or modify content or design of the site not
affirmatively selected by the particular individual, where the information is used only for a single visit to the site
and not used for any kind of future customization. For example, an online store may suggest items a
visitor may wish to purchase based on the products that she has already placed in her shopping basket.
Online Contact Information (also see Physical Contact Information)
Information that allows an individual to be contacted or located on the
Internet, such as the e-mail address. Often, this information is independent of the specific computer used to access the
network. The OPA, a group of more than 80 global corporations and associations, was created to lead and support industry self-regulatory initiatives. The OPA identifies and advances online privacy policies across the private sector, supports the development and use of self-regulatory enforcement mechanisms and activities, as well as user empowerment technology tools designed to protect individuals' privacy, and supports compliance with and strong enforcement of applicable laws and regulations.
OPA's privacy policy guidelines. Online Profiling (also see Individual Profiling and Data Mining)
The practice of aggregating information about consumers' preferences and interests, gathered primarily by tracking their online movements and actions, with the purpose of creating targeted advertisement using the resulting profiles.
Opt-in (versus "opt-out")
An option that requires your explicit consent for the use and disclosure of your personal information beyond the original, primary purpose for which it was collected.
For instance, example.com may provide an empty check-box and state, "I permit example.com to share my personal information beyond the purpose for which it was collected". The company thus requires you to affirmatively consent, or opt-in, before it will use or share your personal information beyond the primary purpose. The Web site's default program assumes that you have not consented to such use unless you check off the box.
Opt-out (versus "opt-in")
An option that allows you to prevent the use and disclosure of your personal information beyond the original, primary purpose for which it was collected.
For instance, example.com may display a checked-off box and state, "I permit example.com to share my personal information beyond the purpose for which it was collected". You must un-check the box, or opt-out, to prevent the company from using or sharing your personal information beyond the primary purpose. The Web site's default program assumes that you have consented such use unless you un-check the box.
CDT's Operation Opt-Out. P3P -- see Platform for Privacy Preferences Project Personally Identifiable Transactional Data
Personal user preferences tracked by a Web site via a online cookies are also considered personally identifiable when linked to other personally identifiable information provided by online users.
Physical Contact Information (versus Online Contact Information)
Information that allows an individual to be contacted or located in the
physical world -- such as a telephone number or an address. Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P): A set of
software-writing guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the standard-setting body for the Web.
P3P is designed to provide Internet users with a clear understanding of how personal information will be
used by a particular Web site, empowering users to avoid sites that do not meet their privacy preferences.
CDT's How P3P Can Help Protect Privacy report. [also in .pdf] Policy A collection of one or more privacy statements together with information that provides the identity,
URI, assurances, and dispute resolution procedures of the service covered by the policy.
Privacy Policy:
A page or pages on a Web site that describe privacy policies, i.e., what personal information the site collects, how it uses it, with whom the site shares it, and whether users can exercise control over the use of their personal data. Political Information
User information, which may be collected by a site or a service provider, regarding membership in or affiliation with groups such as religious organizations, trade
unions, professional associations, political parties, etc. Preference Data
Data, which may be collected by a site or a service provider, about an individual's likes and dislikes -- such as favorite color or musical tastes.
Pseudonymity (also see Anonymity)
A condition in which you have taken on an assumed identity.
Refers to a site's or a service provider's use of personal data to create or build a record of a particular individual
or computer that is tied to a pseudonymous identifier, without tying personally-identifiable information (such
as name, address, phone number, email address, or IP address) to the record. This profile is usually used to
determine the habits, interests, or other characteristics of individuals while it is not used to attempt to
identify specific individuals.
Public Forums
Refers to digital entities such as bulletin boards, public directories, or commercial CD-ROM directories, where personal user data may be distributed by a site or a service provider.
Information actively generated by the purchase of a product or service, including
information about the method of payment.
Purpose The reason(s) for data collection and use. Repository A mechanism for storing user information under the control of the user agent.
Recipient
Refers to the legal entity, or domain, beyond the service provider and its agents where personal user data may be distributed. May include delivery services,
unrelated third parties, and
public forums.
Secondary Use
Security
The fourth principle of fair information guidelines, along with (1) Notice, (2) Choice, and (3) Access. Refers to data collectors' responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure that information collected from consumers is accurate and secure from unauthorized use. There exists a number of ways that online services can safeguard data; examples include passwords, audit trails, and encryption.
State Management Mechanisms
Mechanisms for maintaining a stateful session with a user or
automatically identifying users who have visited a particular site or accessed particular content previously. Cookies are a state management mechanism. Subscription Data
Transparency
A goal of Fair Information Practices, which requires a company to inform users what personal information the company collects and how the data is used. An online privacy seal program that certifies eligible Web sites, holding sites to baseline privacy standards. Requires its licensees to implement certain fair information practices and to submit to various types of compliance monitoring in order to display a privacy seal on their Web sites.
An online seal awarded by TRUSTe to Web sites that agree to post their privacy practices openly via privacy statements, as well as to adhere to enforcement procedures that ensure that those privacy promises are met. When you click on the TRUSTe trustmark, you're taken directly to the privacy statement of the licensed Web site.
Unique Identifiers
Non-financial identifiers issued for purposes of consistently identifying the individual.
These include government-issued identifiers such as a Social Security Number, as well as identifiers issued by
a Web site or service.
Use User
An individual (or group of individuals acting as a single entity) on whose behalf a service is
accessed and for which personal data exists. User Agent A privacy program whose purpose is to mediate interactions with services on behalf of the user under the
user's preferences. A user may have more than one user agent, and agents need not reside on
the user's desktop, but any agent must be controlled by and act on behalf of only the user.
A type of computer program that allows animation and other interactive functions on a file or Web page. The smallest piece of digital information understood by computers. The rate information travels from one place to another either inside a computer or between computers. Bandwidth is usually measured in bits per second, kilobits (thousands of bits) per second, or megabits (millions of bits) per second. A 28.8 modem allows for a connection of 28.8 kilobits per second.
Blocking Software (also see Filtering Software) A computer program that allows parents, teachers, or guardians to "block" access to certain Web sites and other information available over the Internet All blocking software has filtered the information before blocking access to it. A placeholder for interesting or frequently used Web sites, so that these sites can be revisited easily without having to remember or retype the Internet address. A software product that lets you find, see, and hear material on the World Wide Web, including text, graphics, sound, and video. Popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Bulletin Board (also see Chat and Chat Room) A public area online where you can post a message for everyone else to read. If you post a message to a bulletin board, in nearly all cases, other member participants will be able to contact you by e-mail. Bytes are a basic measurement of computer memory. A byte is made up of eight bits. A cache is a place on your hard drive where the Web browser stores information (text, graphics, sounds, etc.) from pages or sites that you have visited recently so that returning to those pages or sites is faster and easier. A computer disk that can store large amounts of information; generally used on computers with CD-ROM drives. "CD-ROM" stands for "Compact Disk Read Only Memory". That means it can only play back information, not record or save material. Chat (also see Bulletin Board) A feature of online services or Web sites that allows participants to "talk" by typing messages that everyone can read at the same time. Here's how it works: The participant enters the chat room, types a message on his or her computer, and sends it; and it is instantly displayed on the screens of the other users in the chat room. Admission is generally not restricted. You never know who is going to be reading your messages or responding to them, so it's best to be cautious. A "place" or page in a Web site or online service where people can chat, or "talk," with each other by typing messages. It's "real-time" communication like talking on the phone, except the "talkers" are typing text as with e-mail. E-mail, on the other hand, is delayed communication. A software program that you install on your own computer to block access to inappropriate material, prevent kids from accessing the Internet at certain times, or to prevent kids from revealing personal information. See also "filtering software" and "blocking software." General term for large online services. These services are like special clubs that require membership dues. Besides providing access to the Internet, commercial services have lots of content, games, and chat rooms that are available only to members. A very general term used in a number of ways. "Cyberspace" can refer to the electronic areas and communities on the Internet and other computer networks; the culture developing on (or across) the global network of phone wires that make up the Internet; a new publishing or communications medium separate from conventional media; and a "place" separate from or in addition to physical space. Discussion group (also see Newsgroups) An area online focused on a specific topic where users can read and add or "post" comments ("post" in the sense of posting something on a bulletin board). You can find discussion groups, also referred to as "discussion boards," for almost any topic. Similar to search engines, directories are indexes of Web pages organized by subject. Domain name (also see URL) A Web site address, usually followed by .com, .org or .edu. Download (also see Upload) Copying data from another computer to your computer. "Download" is also used to mean viewing a Web site, or material on a Web server, with a Web browser. Digital Subscriber Line - A new technology that allows you to access the Internet over standard phone lines at very high speeds. Electronic Mail. A way of sending messages electronically from one computer to another. Users can send memos, letters, and other word-based messages, as well as multimedia documents. E-mailing requires having a modem, connecting a telephone line to your computer, and an e-mail address (recognizable because of the "@" symbol, such as president@whitehouse.gov). The most common technology for connecting computers together in a network. A list of "Frequently Asked Questions" about a specific Web site, mailing list, product, or game. Reading the FAQ first is a great idea when you are new to a site, mailing list, discussion group, or product. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) that automatically blocks access to content that is inappropriate for children. Each filtered ISP uses its own company criteria to decide which Web sites are inappropriate. When choosing a filtered ISP, parents and other caretakers should make sure the company's criteria are consistent with their own values and judgments. Software that sorts information on the Internet and classifies it according to content. Some filtering software allows the user to block certain kinds of information on the Internet. See also "Blocking Software, "Client-Based Filtering Software," and "Server-based Filtering Software." A security device that places a protective "wall" around a computer or network of computers, keeping it from being accessible to the public. File Transfer Protocol - a way to transfer ("download" or "upload") files from one computer to another, for example from your hard drive to a Web server in order to update a Web site. Sending a nasty piece of e-mail or posting a nasty comment in a newsgroup or discussion group, usually in response to a posting that offended someone. Generally any device that provides access to another system. For example, an ISP might be called a gateway to the Internet; also a hardware device that connects a local network to the Internet. The nuts, bolts, and wires of a computer and computer-related equipment, also the actual computer and related machines such as scanners and printers. Hyperlink (also see Links)
An image or portion of text on a Web page that is linked to another Web page (either on the same site or in another Web site). If it's a word or phrase, you can tell it's a link because it's another color, it's underlined, or both. If it's an image, you can tell it's a hyperlink if you see a border around it, or if the cursor changes to a little hand when you drag the cursor over the image with the mouse. You just click on the link to go to another Web page or another place on the same page. Hypertext Markup Language - The standard language used for creating documents on the World Wide Web. Hypertext Transfer Protocol - The standard language that computers connected to the World Wide Web use to communicate with each other.
The first page or document Web users see when connecting to a Web server or when visiting a Web site.
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the non- profit international organization
responsible for domain names management. ICRA (also see RSACi) Internet Content Rating Alliance rating system - a rating system for Web content IM or Instant Message (also see Web-based instant messaging) A chat-like technology on an online service that notifies a user when a friend is online, allowing for simultaneous communication (like talking on the phone, only with text). Referred to as "Net" for short, a collection of thousands of connected computers and computer networks. A private network that works like the Internet, except that it can only be seen by a select group of people, such as the employees of a company. Internet Relay Chat - A part of the Internet (not on the Web) that allows participants to "chat" online in a live forum that usually centers around a common interest. IRC is the earliest form of online chat. Integrated Services Digital Network - A technology that allows you to connect to the Internet over standard phone lines at speeds higher than a 56k modem allows. The technology is older and the connection speed lower than those of DSL. Internet Service Provider - A company that sells access to the Internet, most often through a local phone number. ISPs are usually distinguished from commercial services, which link to the Internet but also offer additional services, such as content and chat, only available to their subscribers. Internet Protocol - The computer language that allows computer programs to communicate over the Internet. Java (also see applets) A computer programming language that allows World Wide Web pages to have animation, calculators, and other fancy tricks. On Web search engines, these are words that you type into the search form, or search "window," to search the Web for pages or sites that contain your keyword and information related to it. A Web site for children under 13 years old (or those sites that know that their visitors are under 13 years old) Local Area Network - A network of connected computers that are generally located near each other, such as in an office or company. Link (also see Hyperlink)
Highlighted text that is designed so that clicking on it will take you to another document, Web page, or Web site.
A hardware device that allows computers to communicate with each other over telephone lines. Modems come in different speeds: The higher the speed, the faster the data are transmitted. A modem enables what is generally referred to as "dial-up access." The fastest widely available modems are "56K" (or 56 kilobits per second). A type of software product that allows a parent or caretaker to monitor the Web sites or e-mail messages that a child visits or reads, without necessarily blocking access. Mouse (also see Hardware)
A small device attached to your computer by a cord, which lets you give commands to the computer by clicking the device. A combination of two or more types of information such as text, audio, video, graphics, and images. The rules of cyberspace civility. Usually applied to the Internet, where manners are enforced exclusively by fellow users. Discussion groups on the Internet (not on the Web, which is only one area of the Internet) that are broken down and categorized by subjects. These discussion groups consist of messages sent by other Internet users and displayed publicly for everyone in the group (or under the topic area) to read. The word "news" in "newsgroups" does not mean they are run by news services or journalists. The person who is responsible for maintaining and running a web site. Platform for Internet Content Selection - PICS is a technology that allows Web browsers to read content ratings of Web sites, but it is not a rating system itself. A program that works with browsers to play audio and video. Like posting a message on a bulletin board, the sending of a message to a discussion group or other public message area on the Internet. The message itself is called a "post." Recreation Software Advisory Council's Internet rating system - a rating system for Web content that uses PICS technology. RSACi was recently renamed the Internet Content Rating Alliance (ICRA).
A tool to help people locate information available on the World Wide Web. By typing in keywords, users can find numerous Web sites that contain the information sought. For more information on search engines for kids, see the Server A host computer that stores information and/or software programs and makes them available (or "serves" them) to users of other computers. You download the information on a Web server with a Web browser. Unlike client-based software, which is installed on your own computer, server-based filters work on a host server (for example, a Web server) generally located at an Internet Service Provider or a LAN at a company. Your computer is connected to this server so that you receive only the Web pages that are not filtered on the server. A computer program. Loosely defined, it's made up of a set of instructions, also called "computer code," to be used on your hardware. There is "system software" that operates the machine itself (such as the Windows and MacOS operating systems), and there is "application software" for specific uses, or applications, such as word processing, playing games, or managing your money. A software program that "crawls" the Web, searching through Web pages and sites and indexing those pages in a database of Web pages that can then be searched using a search engine. Unsolicited "junk" e-mail containing advertising or promotional messages sent to large numbers of people. Sometimes people or companies send sexually explicit unsolicited e-mail, known as "porn spam." Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol - A computer "language" that allows for transmission, or "publishing," of information across the Internet. Software that allows time limits to be set for access to the Internet or software programs such as games. For details, see the Time Limiting section in our Guide to Online Safety Tools. Upload (also see Download) Copying or sending data or documents from your computer to another computer, such as the server that hosts your home page. URL (also see Domain Name)
Uniform Resource Locator - The World Wide Web address of a site on the Internet. For example, the URL for the White House is http://www.whitehouse.gov. The World Wide Web - What most people think of when they think of the Internet. The Web is actually just one service on the Internet. It is a collection of graphical hyperlinked documents made publicly available on computers (or Web servers) around the world. The information on these servers can be viewed or accessed with a browser. Other services on the Internet include Internet Relay Chat and Newsgroups. A collection of "pages" or files on the World Wide Web linked together and maintained by a company, organization, or individual. Anyone with a Web site may be considered a content provider or a publisher. As opposed to chat IRC found on subscriber-only online services, Web-based chat allows people to chat with each other using a browser. Web-based chat rooms are found in Web sites. A technology that allows you to send and receive e-mail using only a browser (as opposed to an e-mail software program like Eudora). Web-based Instant-Messaging (also see Instant Messaging) Instant-Messaging technology that works in Web sites (as opposed to a commercial online services). The administrator responsible for the management and often design of a Web site. W3C World Wide Web Consortium, the standard-setting body for the Web.
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