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Patrons learn to protect privacy, more

Citizens get tips on protecting privacy, help their community during free library program

Adults and families learned how to protect their privacy in the digital age, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday, June 18, at Main Street Library. The event included a shredding truck, a panel discussion including experts on various aspects of privacy, and free booklets and other printed information.

Privacy experts, from left, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Vicki Gaffney and Carolyn Caywood answer audience questions.

Privacy is misunderstood. It is complex, can’t be quantified and is different for each person. In addition, the context of privacy is being scrambled by today’s online social networking, says Siva Vaidhyanathan, a University of Virginia scholar.

Vaidhyanathan, author of the new book, “The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry),” was one of three privacy experts who spoke at the Privacy in the Digital Age program on June 18 at Main Street Library. Presented by the Newport News Public Library System’s Herbert H. Neisser Fund, the free public event featured presenters, a panel discussion, shredding event and printed informational materials.

“It’s not about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll,” said Vaidhyanathan, a University of Virginia professor, historian and media scholar. “It’s not about a certain set of behaviors or a core set of things that we have decided are private.”

Instead, privacy is more complex and involves each person’s ability to manage their own reputation in a variety of contexts and relationships, he said.
“The idea that young people don’t care about privacy is false,” Vaidhyanathan said. “Everyone cares about privacy and protecting their reputation; they just care about it differently.”

In researching Google for his book, Vaidhyanathan said the company’s president told him that that the online service asks users to give up a little bit of privacy in exchange for a better user experience. The problem, Vaidhyanathan told the Library audience, is that it isn’t possible to measure “a little bit” of privacy.

Online data is used by Google and other companies to change search results and to predict consumer behavior, he said. In addition, Facebook and other social networking sites change the contexts in which people interact, and it conditions users to continue to share more information about themselves.

The second speaker, Vicki Gaffney, community resource officer with the Newport News Sheriff’s Office, provided practical tips for avoiding identity theft. Her tips included removing the labels before discarding prescription drug bottles. She explained how the information on the bottle could be used for identity theft. Other tips provided by Gaffney included not carrying a large purse, quickly entering PIN numbers, keeping up with credit reports, putting a credit freeze on your accounts, not putting mail out with the flag up, how to hire a contractor and more.

Carolyn Caywood, a librarian and privacy expert, discussed privacy laws, the constitution and how technology is used. She explained the lessons learned from Virginia Beach’s experience using facial-recognition cameras from 2001 to 2005. She advised audience members to make conscious decisions, be careful in sharing information, challenge requests for private information and ask how the information will be used.

In response to audience questions, the panelists advised job applicants to withhold providing social security numbers until after they have been hired, to only provide required information on all types of forms and to update their information on “do not call” lists.

The Privacy in the Digital Age program began with a shredding event, in which citizens’ sensitive documents were shredded for free in exchange for a donation to the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula. Donations totaled 495 pounds of food and $237 in cash, and 4,800 pounds of paper were recycled by Shred-It of Hampton.

The program was free and open to the public and presented by the Newport News Public Library System’s Herbert H. Neisser Fund.

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