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Privacy is an important principle. As a consumer, you benefit when information about you is used to approve your credit application. On the other hand, you may not want to receive unsolicited telemarketing calls or mail. And you could be treated unfairly, or even become a victim of crime, if your personal information is inaccurate or misused.
You have privacy rights for certain personal records such as your credit reports, but many situations aren't covered by law. To address privacy concerns, some companies and industry groups have adopted voluntary policies. Look for those policies on sales literature, web sites, or forms companies ask you to fill out.
If you don't see anything about how your personal information will be handled, ask. By doing business with companies whose privacy practices meet your approval, you can protect yourself from abuse and use your purchasing power to help promote good privacy policies.
In addition to various federal privacy laws, many states have their own privacy laws concerning telemarketing, employment, using social security numbers, credit card or checking account numbers, medical records, mailing lists, credit reports, debt collection, computerized communications, insurance records and public data banks. Check with your state or local consumer agency to find out where to get information about specific privacy rights.
Identity Theft
Be especially careful with sensitive personal information.Your social security number should not be requested except by an employer, government agency, lender or credit bureau. If that information falls into the wrong hands, it can be used by someone to impersonate you in order to steal from your accounts or to steal from others in your name. Many states no longer use social security numbers on drivers' licenses. Some states offer random numbers as alternatives, and bar merchants from asking consumers to put their social security numbers on checks or credit card slips. Check your credit report regularly.Once a year should be enough, but you may want to check it more frequently if you believe that someone else has impersonated you in order to get credit or other benefits in your name. See Protect Your Credit Report on page 18.The Congress of the United States asked the Federal Trade Commission to provide information to consumers about identity theft and to take complaints from those whose identities have been stolen. If you've been a victim of identity theft, you can call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), or file a complaint online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.The FTC puts your information into a secure consumer fraud database and may, in appropriate instances, share it with other law enforcement agencies and private entities, including any companies about which you may complain.
Privacy
Tips for Protecting Your Privacy
Don't provide information that isn't required.For instance, most information requested on a warranty registration form isn't necessary for the warranty. But you may want to give your phone number so you can be contacted easily about product recalls.
Ask what information about you may be tracked and how it is used.Supermarket scan cards enable you to get special sale prices, but your purchasing history could also be sold to other companies.
Guard your financial account numbers.Only provide your credit card, charge card, debit card, calling card or bank account number if you're using that account to pay for a purchase or you're applying for credit. It isn't necessary to give that type of information for any other reason.
Screen your calls.You can use an answering machine to listen to a caller and decide whether you want to pick up. There are also optional telephone services that you can buy to accept calls only from certain numbers, or to see the name and number of the person calling you (Caller ID). Check with your local telephone company.
Keep your phone number private.You can buy a service to block others from using Caller ID to see your name and the number you're calling from. But be aware that this blocking may not work with every type of number you call. Ask your local phone company exactly how the service works. You can also get an unlisted or unpublished phone number for a fee.
Children Online
Commercial web sites must now obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13. These are new rules that are part of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. For more information, contact the FTC or click on Kids Privacy at www.ftc.gov
Talk about privacy concerns with your children and other household members. Everyone should understand what information you feel is and is not appropriate to provide on the phone, while using a computer, and in other situations.
How Financial Service Companies Share Your Personal Information
Under Federal law banks, insurance companies and stockbrokers may now combine businesses. This means they can share your information with each other. They are also allowed to share your information with third parties that provide marketing services for them or for joint ventures with other financial institutions. You can:
"Opt out," or ask that your personal information not be shared with unaffiliated third parties. Even if you don't opt out, the actual account numbers for bank or credit card accounts may not be shared with unaffiliated third parties for marketing.
Don't allow your credit record to be checked except for legitimate reasons.A lender or employer can check your credit record. But, it's illegal for a business to check your record unless you're seeking financing. Too many inquiries can hurt your credit rating by making it appear that you are seeking too much credit.
Never give anyone your online password.Con artists may try to trick you into providing your password by pretending to be your online service provider in order to use your access, at your expense. Your service provider already has your password, and no one else should need it.
Be aware of "cookies" on the Internet.A web site can transfer a file, called a cookie, to the hard drive of your computer when you visit in order to track your activities on its site. This information is used for customer service or marketing, but you can usually specify you don't want to create a cookie.
Make sure it's safe before you provide financial information online.
Privacy
Health Privacy
With health care information being stored and shared on computers, it is a good idea to be aware of who has your health information and how it is being used.
The Medical Information Bureau is a data bank used by insurance companies. Get a copy of your file to make sure the information it contains is correct by writing to the MIB, PO Box 105, Essex Station, Boston, MA 02112.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expects to take action to improve health privacy protections for consumers. For the latest information go to www.hhs.gov or:
Contact the Health Privacy Project,Institute for Health Care Research and Policy, Georgetown University Medical Center, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 525, Washington, DC 20007, 202-687-0880 www.healthprivacy.com |
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