One month before the FCC presents its National Broadband Plan, the FCC has released a consumer survey with the latest information on national broadband use and adoption.  The survey offers information to provide a greater understanding of the reasons why some have not adopted... Read The Story...

Firefox dvd I recently read this interesting article download daybreakers about a survey in Britain that revealed consumers’ online practices don’t necessarily jive with their alleged concerns when it comes to online privacy. A large majority of those surveyed responded they didn’t want to have photos or details of their homes available online for anyone to see. However, the survey also revealed that many of these same consumers willingly provide personal information– such as emails and date-of-birth – on their social networking profiles.

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These results are similar to the findings of my online safety survey conducted last year; consumers’ views of online privacy contradict their actual behaviors.

Social networking websites are hugely popular and are unlikely to diminish in popularity, particularly given the ease with which they allow consumers to stay in touch with friends and family. Consumers use social networking websites a great deal, but still maintain concerns about privacy online. So how do consumers balance their interest in online privacy while maintaining an active presence on social networking sites? I believe the answer is to be careful about the information you provide about yourself on social networking sites. Make sure you’re only posting content you don’t mind having anyone access. Also, double-check the privacy settings on the social networking sites you use to make sure you’re only sharing information with your intended audience. Also, websites should be clear with consumers about the information they capture whenever anyone visits their site and how that information is used – it works both ways!

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Friday the 13th video On a recent trip to Boston, I met with Felicia Vargas, who is the Director of the Boston Public Schools Cyber Safety Campaign and with a program called TechBoston.   The program works to connect the city’s public schools with various community centers, including libraries, and the YMCA, as a means to disseminate resources to elementary age children.

What I found fascinating about this program is the creative resources they’ve developed to educate kids and parents about cyber safety.  From videos to puppets, the resources appeal to the various ages of young children, tweens and teens, to teach them about Internet safety and responsibility.

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One example is “Cyber Super Heroes” which was created last year by several students. The cartoon characters have super powers that help young students avoid on-line predators, cyber-bullying, privacy violations, and other problems in cyberspace.

Felicia Vargas agrees that educating students about online safety and privacy issues as early as possible is an important step in leading to a safe and responsible Internet experience for everyone.  Providing parents – and older caregivers – with the right tools and information is another critically important component of the campaign.  Online safety takes everyone working together, and thanks to the great effort of programs such as the Boston Public Schools Cyber Safety Campaign, our kids are learning how to be better digital citizens.

To learn more about the activities of the Boston Public Schools Cyber Safety Campaign click here.

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Boat Trip buy Last week, I spoke at a conference in Boston of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates Machined Reborn movie download (NASUCA).  The conference session was on broadband consumer issues and the other speakers included Sharon Gillett (former state Commissioner, now Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute) and Susan Baldwin (economist).

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I kicked-off my remarks by talking about the adoption “gap” – the number of adults that haven’t yet subscribed to broadband.  Although numbers are growing, there are still too many homes without a connection – and for those over age 65, the gap is really significant.  But what is it that is keeping those adults from getting and using high-speed Internet access?

There are a few barriers:  relevance, usability, price, and availability.  But let’s not forget two very important other factors that influence whether or not we use the Internet – and if we stay online:  safety and privacy.   If consumers don’t feel safe and secure about using the Internet, they won’t subscribe to broadband services.  Online safety and privacy are important issues for all consumers, but particularly older adults concerned about identify theft, scams, and phishing e-mails.  And how do those issues affect broadband retention?  Could privacy and safety be factors in people using the Internet less frequently than they had previously?  As I blogged about before House of Usher movie download

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Beavis and Butt-Head Do America full , that could be an issue among older adults who make up the largest “drop-off” rate on Facebook.

Whatever the specific issue, when talking about increasing broadband access and adoption, we need to realize and address all possible barriers, including online safety and privacy.

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These monthly messages will contain more resources and information for consumers.

Consumer Resources

Below are additional resources to more information about online privacy.

Consumer Guide to Online Privacy (PDF)
Consumer Online Privacy Survey
2008 Online Safety Survey
bNetS@vvy
www.onguardonline.gov
www.ikeepsafe.org/
www.getnetwise.org
www.fosi.org
www.enough.org

Other Organizations

National Caucus and Center on Black Aged:
http://www.ncba-aged.org/

National Consumers League:
http://www.nclnet.org/