NOTE: Visit spyware.surferbeware.com for more information on protecting your privacy on the Internet as well as reviews of anti-spyware software, great tutorials on stopping spyware & cookies, and keeping your privacy on the Internet, and much more.

The right to privacy…to their detriment, Internet users often overlook this issue. As a wise man once said, once the people give up a right, it is almost impossible to get it back.

Many people usually respond to this issue with indifference, feeling as if this is not really something they need to be concerned about in their everyday lives. Well, picture this…what if there was a government agent assigned to you everywhere you went, and recorded everything you did? What if every telephone and person-to-person conversation was recorded and all your purchases were tracked? Still doesn’t bother you? Let’s take it a little further. Do you think there is anything you do that could be construed as a violation of the law? Chances are if someone was being paid to find out if you slip up and their whole existence was based on documenting your mistakes, they would make it their business to continue until they found the information they needed.

Now how about this…what if it was a company rather than a law enforcement agency watching you and monitoring your buying habits? And what if in order to make additional profit, they sold this information to other companies? Don't think it happens? Well, it's happening now, and there is currently a bill before Congress to stop it.

Free Internet privacy is our goal and Internet privacy information will be the tool. This section is dedicated to
internet privacy protection with little time commitment. There are internet privacy tools contained in this section such as:
free spyware remover, information to delete internet cookie, a free internet privacy downloads page
(get internet privacy software free )!, and information to stop email spam.

Folks, protect your precious privacy, because once it's gone, it may never return.

Cerebro

How much information can companies get about me while I'm online?

Companies can easily get your IP address, and the sites you visit through the use of "cookies." You can also download some privacy trial-ware or freeware from the Free Downloads page. You can also check out a great privacy tutorial on spyware.surferbeware.com.

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How do I know if a company will sell my information to others?

Look for a link to either a "Privacy Statement" or "Privacy Policy" and click the link. Read it carefully. Look to see if there are any sections that mention something about selling your information to third party or outside companies.

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Can my boss track what I am doing at work?

Yes, and most likely they already do. Try to follow company policy about conducting personal business at home.

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How much can a website find out about me in one visit?

They can find out which operating system you are running, your screen resolution, the browser you are using, the site you just came from and the site you're going to next, as well as all sorts of other information. Rather than tell you, let me show you - click here.

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If I use a proxy, can the sites still find out who I am?

That depends. There are two kinds of proxies: public proxies and anonymous proxies. Anonymous proxies are designed to protect your privacy, public proxies are not. Anonymizer is hands down the leader in this arena and the service is only $5/month.

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How can erase/cover my tracks after I finish surfing?

The easiest way is to Clear the History. You can do this in Internet Explorer by following these steps:

Open a browser window
Click on "Tools"
Select the "Internet Options..." sub-menu
Scroll down to "Clear History"
Click OK

If you would like a more comprehensive way of deleting your tracks, check out the Internet Privacy Tutorial.

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What is Carnivore?

Carnivore is a computer-based system that is designed to allow the FBI, in cooperation with an Internet Service Provider, to comply with court orders requiring the collection of certain information about emails or other electronic communications to or from a specific user targeted in an investigation. In other words, it allows the FBI to wiretap the Internet. This is not a good thing and should raise concern. For more information about carnivore, check out the following links:

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When I delete a file isn't it gone from my computer?

Nothing is ever erased from your hard drive, its just that you can't get to it. Think about it for a second, when you delete a file where does it go? It isn't like there's a trash chute that runs outside of you computer. Secure deletion programs attempt to permanently erase files by writing over them with "junk" data so that it is next to impossible for someone to recover the file.

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