Good Privacy Answer

Privacy has become a very serious issue in the last few decades. As more and more information about individuals is digitized, there is a need to safeguard access to it. Because information is in digital form, it can be sorted and arranged very easily as well as transferred from computer to computer instantly.

Companies and governments need clear and updated policies regarding the use of databases. Individuals should have the right to know that a database exists, what types of information, and who has access to it. Individuals should also have the right to refuse the sharing of this information with others. Companies can use anonymous grouped information but not specific facts related to a person.

Companies have a responsibility to assure the accuracy of databases. The information needs to be kept up to date and uncorrupted. Safeguards must be in place to back up and check the data on a regular basis. An example of this is with credit information which can change regularly and affect individual’s finances.

Companies should also have a policy about how long information is kept. A suggested limit would be three years. After this time, a company would have to ask permission again from the individual to continue to keep and use the information. AN example of information that changes over time is internet addresses because individuals change organizations and internet service providers every few yeas.

Overall, as databases grow, the need to insure privacy grows. As computer processing speed and power increases, these databases can be put together to provide a very precise picture of an individual. A person’s name or an identification number can link a great deal of private information together that could be dangerous in the wrong hands.