Online privacy is not one switch that makes a person invisible. It is a series of choices about what information to share, which services to use, and what settings fit the way you use them. The right choice depends on what you are trying to protect and from whom.
A useful place to begin
- Review the personal details on important accounts and remove information that is no longer needed.
- Check account recovery options and sign-in protections so you know how you would regain access.
- Look at the permissions and privacy settings for the apps and services you actually use.
- Before sharing sensitive details, consider whether the service needs them and how its current terms explain their use.
- Revisit settings when an app, device or account changes; the available choices can change too.
These steps can help make choices more deliberate, but they cannot control every copy of information or every organization that may receive it. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s online privacy guidance is a useful starting point for individual readers.
This page began as notes for a possible Smart Tech for Real People topic. It is not a book announcement, and I may never publish a book about it. See the books currently available for confirmed titles.