Mozilla is a nonprofit organization that helps keep the internet healthy, open, and accessible to everyone. Here is a translated article from his blog:
In a world where applications, products and devices work with your personal data, raising awareness and enabling people to protect the privacy of their data is more important than ever. Data Privacy Day is just around the corner (January 28) and we are happy to support this day dedicated to empowering individuals and asking businesses to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust.
At Mozilla, every day is Data Privacy Day. What I mean by this? Respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust are built into the core of Mozilla, our products, and everything we do. This is because we are not your average tech company. We are also the champions of the Internet and protectors of the health of the Internet. We fight to advance and protect the internet as part of our mission because we believe that the internet is a shared global public resource that needs to remain open and accessible to all.
Respect Privacy
Mozilla has a lot to share for Data Privacy Day.
Today, we launched the new privacy-focused Firefox Focus browser to the world, available in many languages and with more search options. And, the latest version of Firefox released this week adds clear warnings for users on potentially insecure sites that collect passwords.
We have just released the first version of the Internet Health Report, with privacy and security as the first indicator of a healthy internet. A healthy internet is private and secure. Internet users should be able to have more options about what information they share with organizations and for what benefit. They should have the freedom to express themselves online without undue surveillance. And, they should be able to safeguard your information against attacks.
We ask the new Presidential Administration of the United States to prioritize the internet in its work, and specifically in the area of cybersecurity, because any of the most critical issues that affect internet users are related to cybersecurity.
We have advocated for, and done our part to fulfill, the responsibility that technology companies, governments and consumers share to protect cybersecurity. There is no need for governments, technology companies, and users to work together on issues such as encryption, security vulnerabilities, and surveillance.
We will continue to work with governments, businesses and consumers to help protect data privacy and make the internet as secure as possible.
Safeguard the data
What can you do to protect the privacy of your data? For starters, use reliable products like Firefox.
Personal information is shared across websites and applications, like breadcrumbs of your identity spread throughout the network. It is important to know how much a web service or application allows you to be in control of your data and experience and what their privacy practices are. You should also know how each of your devices, services and accounts handles your private information.
You can better protect your data privacy on a daily basis by following some of the following basic tips. You can also share these resources because they help create a safer internet for the billions of people online.
- Lock your login: Use strong passwords and the strongest authentication tools available to protect your online accounts and personal information. Richard Barnes has a post with more tips for better password security.
- Keep a clean machine: Make sure all your internet connected devices, web services, and applications are up to date with the latest software and enable automatic updates when you can. Updating your software was the biggest tip Mozilla gave you to protect your data on the last Data Privacy Day.
- Remember- Personal information is like money: Value it and protect it – everything from your location to your purchase history. Be aware of and control what information is shared about you online.
- When in doubt, throw it out: Cybercriminals are stealthy and often use links in email, social media, and advertisements to steal your personal information. Even if you know the origin, if something looks suspicious, don’t click – delete it.
- Share with care: Think before you post. Consider who will see the post and how it may be perceived, now or in the future. And, don’t post something about someone else that you wouldn’t want to see posted about yourself. Mozilla has several good tips on how to share without over-sharing on Facebook
ok, Twitter and Instagram.
Own your presence online: Consider limiting how much and with whom you share information online. Be sure to set individual security and privacy preferences for your app or website to suit your needs.
Allow trust
We believe that online privacy is a fundamental right and that people should have transparency and control over their data. If users had choice and control over how their information is shared, it would build more trust in the system as a whole.
If you are a business or a developer that handles user information, you should always be working to create a relationship of trust with users around their information. Building trust with your users around their data doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does mean that you need to think about user privacy and security in every aspect of your product. Read Jishnu Menon’s post on Lean Data Practices for more information.
Many of the companies you participate with online ask for your trust without earning it. You interact with them every day but you can’t really know if they support you behind the scenes. They don’t give you meaningful choices for your privacy. They are confident but not necessarily trustworthy. At Mozilla we strive to be both. Marshall Erwin has more to share on what it means to be a trusting and trustworthy company.
Happy Data Privacy Day!
Mozilla will be participating in the National Cybersecurity Alliance event to talk more about respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust. You can watch the event here and we’ll share a recap later.
We hope you find some useful information here to help you become more privacy conscious on this Data Privacy Day.
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