Online Privacy & Tech Etiquette

Brush up on your tech communication skills and stay up to date on privacy so you can make the most of your smartphone, the Internet and social media.

What is Privacy?

The ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.

From Privacy. (Wikipedia). Accessed September 24, 2015.

Why Should You Be Concerned About Online Privacy?

Your Information is Valuable

  • The information you share online through social media, email and messaging is valuable to many people. Your searches may be tracked by a particular app to improve functionality or to sell to other companies as analytics. Value is not always monetary, online information about you can impact you socially and career-wise in positive and negative ways.

Online Advertising Unconsciously Impacts You

  • You may not realize it, but you may have bought a particular pair of shoes because you unconsciously absorbed that your best friend liked the brand on Facebook or Instagram. Your web browser can also monitor what you are viewing and may feed that information to advertisers.

Others Can and Will Try to Find Information About You Online

  • Be mindful about what you share publicly. An employer or acquaintance may Google you. What would they find?

What is Tech Etiquette?

Social rules or guidelines that govern what conduct is socially acceptable in an online or digital situation.

From Etiquette in technology. (Wikipedia). Accessed September 24, 2015.

Why is being mindful about how I use technology important?

Using Technology in Your Interactions with Others Influences How You Are Perceived and Understood

  • Is it OK to use your device in front of coworkers? Clients? How do you integrate a mobile device into conversation without offending anyone?

Communicating Effectively Varies Across Tools

  • Can I use emojis at work? Should I be more brief in my emails? Does everyone understand Internet slang?

Sharing Information and Media is Complicated

  • What pictures can I take with my phone at work? Whose permission do I need? Should I tag people in pictures on Facebook?

Privacy by Lars Kloster Silkjaer; Dialog by Reed Enger; Petition by Martha Orrniston; Touch Screen by Antonio Aversa; Cloud by Richard Schumann; Lock and Key by sagit milshtein. The artists' work can be found at the Noun Project