I cannot even count how many times a discussion about online privacy has come up in my circles, and there is always someone that would respond with “Well, I have nothing to hide and what would they want with my information anyway?”

Privacy is not just for people who have something to hide. It is for everyone!

Every time you agree with Google to read your location, join a social network, post a comment, fill in an online survey, share a video or send an instant message you create a digital footprint.  This footprint is permanent and once you have posted it, you cannot take it back. This is not only limited to your PC, it includes any tablets or your mobile phone as well.

For instance, when I recently got engaged, I had changed my Facebook status to “Engaged” and I was immediately flooded with wedding adverts. Or when I started working for Sound Idea Digital, within a week I started receiving spam emails on my new email address, before I have even had the chance to give out.

Why is my online privacy important?
According to a survey done by the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project there are more than a few reasons why you should keep your online information safe:
•         21% of internet users have had an email or social networking account compromised or taken over by someone else without permission.
•         12% of internet users have been stalked or harassed online.
•         11% of internet users have had important personal information stolen such as their credit card or bank account information.
•         4% of internet users have been led into physical danger because of something that happened online.

This is not even to mention the threat of email spam, hacking and viruses that are a daily occurrence. 
According to Walter Leibbrandt, Senior Network Security Researcher at the CSIR, in order to safe-guard your personal freedom it is required that you have control over your personal information. It is this control that is included in various definitions of privacy. Without control over your information (privacy), you will be unable to decide who has access to which information, how it is used, or how and how long it is stored or shared.

Also a great read for everyone that is still not convinced that their privacy matters are, ”The Value of Privacy”, and “Why Privacy Matters Even If You Have ‘Nothing to Hide”.

How does my online information get tracked?
According to Walter, any information that you post on social media sites may be available for the whole world to see. Interested parties can collect this information in order to create a profile (very detailed, in some cases) of you.

Walter also adds that, more generally web sites that you visit store small pieces of information in your web browser, called cookies. Cookies, along with other browser and internet connection information, are used to identify you as you browse the web. The integration of social media into web sites exacerbates this problem. When a web site includes (for example) a “Like” button, that button is loaded by your browser from Facebook’s servers. Since you used the same browser to log into Facebook, Facebook now knows that you have visited this specific web page and can use the content of that page to refine your profile. Ad networks track your browsing habits in similar ways, but without being as visible: in stead of showing a button, some code is loaded by your browser in the background.

What can I do to protect my online privacy?
• Install privacy protection plug-ins in your web browser, such as Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere and Self-Destructing Cookies.
• Clearing cookies and other information stored in your browser.
• Ensure that all your passwords are strong and different. Using a password manager can help with this.
• Encrypt email (with PGP) and prefer encrypted web sites (sites with a lock icon in the address bar).
• Don’t post your email address or any other personal information online.
• Avoid using your real name, where possible.
• Using virtual private networks (VPNs) or anonymising networks such as Tor that mask your internet protocol (IP) address.

What can I do if I get spammed via email?
Do not click on links in emails, even it looks legitimate. SpamCop can be used to report any emails you haven't given your permission to receive. Spamcop  is an email spam reporting service. They take you seriously and determine the origin of the unwanted email and report it to the relevant Internet Service Providers.

Challenge
In an article by Chad Perrin, he challenges all people who are of the opinion that they have nothing to hide, to share the following personal information publicly online.
•         Bank Account Numbers
•         Computer, Email, and web site Usernames and Passwords
•         Credit and Debit Card Numbers
•         Every Photograph You Have
•         Full Name
•         Medical Records
•         ID Number
•         Street Address
•         Telephone Numbers
•         Voter Registration Information

When they have done all that, and lived with it for a few months, he asks them to go back and tell him whether they still think privacy is unimportant or only for people who "have something to hide".

The bottom line is that it should be your right and choice what happens to your information and who has access to it. Out of principle alone, people should be taking more care to safe-guard their information online.

Lorraine Coetzee is a Digital Media Project Manager at Sound Idea Digital | Email: Lorraine@soundidea.co.za | Twitter: @SoundIdea