Personal Privacy

Full Title or Meme

A list of various ways in which user private information can be protected by user actions now and in the future.

Context

Pages on the site where the broad definitions may be found:

• Privacy is the page where the broad definitions may be found.
• Identity Pathologies is the page where the various vulnerabilities are delineated.

User private data is required for release of web resources. Minimizing the amount of data released or its misuse after release is the object of this effort to list the steps that can be taken today by user as well as the developments that are still evolving.

There are four entities that are in play here.

1. The user on a user device (aka a user agent).
2. The resource provider (aka a relying party.)
3. Identifier and Attribute Providers.
4. Data Harvester or Broker

Problems

Users have a variety of reasons not to let their personal information be broadly available, some of those are:

• The right to the "let alone" based on a legal theory of Warren and Brandies.
  • Intimidation by people with evil intent (an active reason to be "let alone").
  • Government harassment, or worse.
• The use of personal data to "steal you identity".
  • Loss of potential (or real) earnings or direct attack on funds on deposit.
  • Tracking on-line makes you feel weird (where there is not any direct personal loss).
• Embarrassment over one's past behavior or attributes (may also create direct personal loss).