Protecting Your Privacy, Your Identity, and Your Money
By Remar Sutton
DCU StreetWise National Spokesperson
DCU StreetWise National Spokesperson
Staying Informed and Making Yourself Heard
There are lots of sites on the Internet that “cover” consumer privacy. How can you determine which sites deserve your trust? Here are a few tips:
- Determine who runs the site. Look for an "about us" or "contact" page. If you can't find one or they don't clearly identify who they are, then find other sites that do. If there's a list of sponsors, check it out.
- Read their privacy policy. If you can't find one, find other sites that provide one.
- Advertising. Does the site have advertising? If so, what is being advertised? Could the advertising influence the site content?
Groups active in privacy advocacy
There are many consumer rights and advocacy groups that are actively involved in researching privacy issues and working for privacy rights. The following list gives a sample.
An excellent source for timely, up-to-date information on all aspects of privacy issues. It has descriptions and links to many other consumer privacy advocacy groups and resources. Remar recommends their website and resources as a great place to start.
The organization that publishes Consumer Reports is also active in many consumer issues including privacy issues, particularly financial privacy, identity theft, and Consumer Web Watch.
Privacy.org provides “daily news, information, and initiatives on privacy. This web page is a joint project of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Privacy International.”
This site provides information on various privacy issues and links to information from a variety of sources. Check out the Privacy Survival Guide.
The Federal Trade Commission is the government agency with oversight of consumer fraud and privacy issues in the marketplace (and that means via phone or online as well as in person). You can file complaints about spam, identity theft, or fraud related to any transaction (online or in person) using links on the Privacy Initiative.
This organization focuses on IT, the Internet and public policy related to privacy issues and advocacy.
Contacting Your Government Representatives
- Locate and write to your Member of U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator, or President as well as local and state officials
- Write U.S. Representative
- Write U.S. Senator
- State and Local Government on the Net provides links to state government offices, state government agencies, and city and county governments.
This handout for Remar Sutton's Privacy seminars was prepared by Remar Sutton, DCU’s Streetwise National Spokesperson & Remar Sutton Associates for DCU Streetwise, reviewed and updated April 2008. All rights reserved.
| A note about third-party links – By selecting links on this page, you will leave DCU's web site and enter a web site hosted by an organization separate from DCU. We encourage you to read and evaluate the privacy policy of any site you visit when you enter the site. While we strive to only link you to companies and organizations that we feel offer useful information, DCU does not directly support nor guarantee claims made by these sites. |
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