It seems that in this internet age we are slowly but surely giving away all of our personal and deeply important liberties. It feels like there is a new story every day of a tech giant selling our data or overstepping their boundaries. The confidence these big tech firms have comes from an awareness that the everyday internet user does not fully understand their internet rights. This has led almost every site using cookies to track and consume your internet footprint to distort to their own needs. This passage will aim to break down what a company is actually legally allowed to do with your data, so you know of and are aware of any wrong practices.

What Data can They Collect?

Firstly, I feel it is important to understand just what data a website can collect before we obviously go into how they choose to use it. Under current US internet law, any company can access your location information, how long you choose to spend on a website, your internet history, and the activity on any given site. So, please do keep this in mind as I examine what they choose to do with this information.

Targeted Advertising

Targeted advertising may not be a practice that many are not even aware of, but companies can and will use your internet search history to give you certain advertisements. So, for a thought exercise let us say you have been searching for tennis rackets on google, you should then expect to see an uptick in tennis based advertisements. It is as simple as that. This most certainly does feel like quite a shady practice, that may be open to corruption. The idea in principle is meant to lead to advertisements that the user may find useful and relevant. As stated in the above text, this is companies using their access to your internet search history. So before consenting or ticking an option keep this in mind.

Site User Analytics

This is another practice you may not have been aware of, but companies will access your information to find out which demographics you fit into. Let us say that a company is looking for more users in the 18-25 female demographic, to understand how to reach their quotas they will access your data to see where you fit and what exactly you chose to interact with on the site. This means that companies will legally be able to see your name, age, and gender; to process and analyze as they please.

Hardware Analytics

Companies often store the type of hardware that a consumer is using, in order to gain an understanding of your processing power. This will also be used to gain an understanding of when and where you choose to access different sites. If a user uses his computer mainly at home for recreative purposes then sites will store this information. This information is most often sold back to tech companies so they themselves can understand how their hardware processes different sites and software in the field.

If you are looking for extra safety then perhaps read the list of companies – fcra compliance site, and remember to always read the small print of any agreement, it truly does not matter how small it may seem. The agreements will usually come in the form of website cookies, and though they may seem innocent they do allow for far wielding access to your internet habits and personal information.

Nowadays, money makes the world go around. With everything becoming digital, even banking, it’s important now more than ever to insure you protect yourself financially. Sadly, increased security only leads to criminals trying harder to get your details and access your money. Keep yourself and your money safe by following these important tips to maximize your financial security.

Protect Your Pin

The first thing you should do is ensure your pin is kept secure. Never share your pin with anybody, even those you trust. Always make sure if you’re entering it on your phone or at an ATM that there is nobody lurking around trying to sneak a peek. When you’re at the ATM, you should also use your hand to shield your pin. Scammers have been known to attach cameras to ATMs, so you could be giving a stranger your pin without even realizing!

Online Banking

The next step you can take to help improve your financial security is by signing yourself up to online banking. By doing this you’ll be able to access your account instantly and will be able to keep track of your finances and pay attention to any unusual looking transactions you don’t recognize. There are even a number of online banking apps designed to replace your physical bank account with an online account. These apps allow you to keep a more organised look into your spending and allows you to access your security settings and account history from your phone. If you like the sound of that, read more here and get yourself an online account sorted today. They also are perfect for accounts if you’re going on holiday, you can convert your money straight away in the app using the best conversion rate and use one card no matter where you are.

Update Your Details Regularly

You should make sure your security settings are regularly updated. Make sure to change your password regularly and try to make sure you use a different password for your bank account to all of your other passwords. Keep a note of your password and make sure it’s in a safe place where nobody can access it.

Protect your Documents

Whilst most banking correspondence is done digitally these days; you may still receive letters from your bank. These letters can often contain important details you should be sure to keep protected. If you’re wanting to throw out letters from your bank, it may be worth investing in a shredder or even having a mini bank bonfire out in your backyard. By thoroughly destroying these letters you can rest assured nobody will be able to access your private details.

Be Mindful of Scams

Unfortunately, as security measures become more complicated to get through, scams have also become a major problem as it’s become harder than ever to recognize. If you ever get an email or text from your bank asking you for ANY details whatsoever, DO NOT click the link. Instead go onto your banks official website or app and get in contact with them directly. Most banks will never contact you asking for your own details.

Have you ever found yourself frustrated with your neighbor? Whether they have a habit of playing their music just a bit too loud in the middle of the night or their dog/child refuses to give you a moment’s peace, chances are we’ve all had to face a frustrating neighbor at some point in our lives. But if you think blasting music is an issue, imagine your disdain when you discover your neighbor is trying to sue you over a tree in the backyard. Well, that’s just what one couple had to go through. The couple, who shall remain nameless for legal reasons, had been living in their new home for around 6 months with no issue. They had finally found their own little section of paradise when a letter came through the door that would turn their perfect world upside down over the next few years. One lovely summer day, the couple had come home from work to discover a letter inside their door addressed to them.

In it, they found a letter addressed to ‘The Couple in # 47’* (*house number has been purposely changed). In the letter, it explained how their next-door neighbor was getting frustrated with the growth of #47’s tree. They went on to say that it has been an ongoing issue and if it wasn’t sorted within the next week, the neighbor would be forced to take matters into their own hands. The couple scoffed at the letter and set it on their table. They wound up forgetting about it and a week had passed. If you’re looking to avoid mimicking this issue, why not keep your trees and your relationship with your neighbor in order by checking out tree loppers Perth for all your Australian tree grooming needs.

The couple had heard nothing and even began to forget about the letter when early one morning, they were woken by a loud crash. They didn’t worry and continued with their day; it wasn’t until later that week that they received an official court summons. The neighbor claimed that they had forced him to take matters into his own hands, and after trying to deal with the tree, he had wound up causing damage to his shed out his backyard and was wanting to sue the couple for damages. What followed was a ridiculous back and forth that cost both sides millions of dollars.

So, What’s the Moral of the Story?

The moral of the story is that no matter what the issue is, communication and proper research is key to solving any problem that may come your way. You can find out how the Australian laws work in your own backyard and can know for yourself what you’re entitled to. Keep yourself covered by staying with these laws and be cautious when exploring some of the grey areas.

Keep yourself knowledgeable of what you can and can’t do and who knows, someday you might be saving yourself from splurging on millions of dollars on legal fees.