Publish

1. Public Policy:
Legal Issues to Privacy
Chapter 10

2. Legal , Ethical And Other Policy Issues
The most important issues facing the
internet were:-
 Validity of contracts
 Unethical distribution of software
 Privacy
 Taxation
 Free speech
 Consumer protection
 Intellectual property rights

3. Legal Ethical and Other Public Policy
Issues
10.1 shows two legal issues
 Validity of contract
 Distribution of software free
 Contracts are a key element of traditional
business practice and they are equally
important on the Internet, they can occur
when parties exchange e-mail messages,
engage in EDI, or fill out forms on Web
pages.

4. Ethical Issues
 Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with
what is considered to be right and wrong.
 Unethical is not necessarily illegal.
 Ethics are different among different countries.
 Organization may develop their own code of ethics
 Monitoring emails without informing
 Information collected through cookies
 Insecure software sold. etc

5. Protecting Privacy
 Claims of individuals or groups, to determines for
themselves when and what extent, information about
them is communicated to others.
 The public right to know is superior to the individual’s
right of privacy but privacy is not absolute, privacy must
be balanced with need of society.
 Privacy issues on internet
 How private information is collected on internet?
 Reading your newsgroup post
 Reading your emails and chats
 Finding you in the internet directories
 Making your browser record your information.
 Major sources:
 Web site registration
 cookies

6. Cookies
Cookies contain private information that can
include credit card data, passwords, and
login information.
The privacy problems exists because of the
existence of cookies.
The best way to protect your privacy is to
disable cookies entirely, while this ideal, it will
also cause you system to lose functionality.

7. Privacy protection
 Principles for organizations
 Give notice prior to collection of personal information
 Consumer must be aware as to how their personal
information may used
 Consumer must be assured that the data is secure.
 Consumer must be able to access their data
 Give customers the right to have you delete any of the
data you have collected about them
 There must be method of enforcement or remedy

8. Privacy protection
Protecting yourself
 Think before you give information
 Track the use
 Keep record
 Keep your posts out of archives
 Live without cookies
 Use encryption
 Ask your ISP about privacy policy
 Use intelligent agents

9. Intellectual Property
 The intangible property created by individuals or
corporations which is protected under copyright,
trade secret and patent law.
Digital intellectual properties, including art,
logos, publications, software and music
posted on Web sites.
 Copyright protection on internet
 Digital watermarks
 Frequent updates
 Offering freeware
 Personalize products

10. Freedom of speech and Censorship
 Freedom of speech : Everyone has right to
freedom of opinion and expression
 Censorship refers to government attempts to
control, the material broadcast
 Protecting Children
 By parents
 By government
 Responsibility of ISP
 Spamming: the practice of indiscriminate
distribution of message, spamming costs
consumers time and money.

11. Taxation Policies
Taxation Policies: Companies that do
business on the Web are subject to the
same taxes as any other company.
Those taxes may include:
Income Taxes
Sales Taxes
Use Taxes
Property Taxes
Customs Duties

12. Other legal issues
Page 396

13. Consumer and Seller protection
Fraud on the Internet
 Online auction fraud
 Internet stock fraud
 Online financial fraud
 Page 401
Buyer Protection(401)
Biometric controls (404)