This document describes some aspects of the internet that raise privacy issues for individuals when visiting web sites. To begin with, a user of the internet should be aware that the internet is a public place. As a consequence, communications (such as e-mail) are more like having a conversation on the bus or the sidewalk than in the privacy of one’s home. Because many users are new to the internet and are relatively unfamiliar with how it operates, they sometimes lack awareness of its potential consequences for their privacy.
For this reason, internet users should be mindful about revealing their personal information on a web site unless they are satisfied that the site has taken steps to ensure their privacy will be respected. Users should look for a web site privacy policy which explains (at the minimum) what personal information the site collects, why it is collected, with whom it is shared and what options are available to the individual to exercise control over the collection, use or disclosure of the information or to seek redress.