Following are a number of dimensions for considering personal privacy, and some things that those who are interested might do to achieve more of it!  This guide begins by identifying dimensions of privacy including CREDIT & FINANCE, MEDICAL INFORMATION, ONLINE and E-MAIL, TELEPHONE, and PERSONAL or RESIDENCE ADDRESS.

We've confined our suggestions to what we suspect is reasonably legal and proper, but we're not lawyers and in any case you need to judge for yourself.  There are of course a number of other (We'd say 'over-the-top') things one might do to achieve or improve privacy that range from just fictitious to totally illegal.  In addition an eBay search on 'Personal Privacy' will show a number of resources, primarily books on the topic.

(The general format that follows is the relevant dimension of privacy, a description, and if appropriate some relevant 'starter' links that you might copy, paste and correct.)

CREDIT & FINANCE

Request and review your credit report

The law requires the three major credit reporting agencies to each provide one free credit report per year to anyone who asks. If you need to order more than one report annually, you can get all three for $29.95. (See: www-chiprowe-com/articles/privacy.html)

Lock Your Personal Credit Reporting 

To lock down a credit report, consumers must contact each of the three credit reporting agencies. For the majority of states, there is no cost if you are a victim of identity theft, as long as you have a report from either the police or a law enforcement agency. California residents who are not identity theft victims must pay $10 to freeze each credit report, (or a total of $30) to freeze their files at each of the three credit bureaus

It costs $10 for a to temporary remove a locked report for a specified date-range for each involved credit reporting agency ($30 total), and $12 ($36 total) to remove a lock for one creditor and at one agency.   For this more information and for information on other states outside California, including credit agency contact data (See:  www-bankrate-com/brm/news/cc/20030613c2.asp)

Pre-Screened Credit Offers

If you would like to reduce the number of pre-screened credit and insurance offers you are receiving, visit the website or call 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) to opt-out of these offers. This is a free service to consumers offered by the major credit bureaus www-optoutprescreen-com

MEDICAL INFORMATION

Medical Information Database

A database used by the insurance industry is maintained by the non-profit Medical Information Bureau, which stores information about the health conditions of more than 12 million residents of the U.S. and Canada. The Medical Information Bureau will search their records for $8. You are required to download and submit Disclosure Form D-2. You won't have a Medical Information Bureau record unless you have applied for individual life, disability or health insurance or received benefits from any subscribing companies within the past seven years. If you do have a Medical Information Bureau record, it's important to make sure that the information is accurate. Write to:

Medical Information Bureau
P.O. Box 105, Essex Station
Boston, MA 02112
Phone: (617) 426-3660
www-chiprowe-com/articles/privacy.html

Health Oriented Privacy Tips Ways to protect you personal privacy

• Ask for a copy of your medical records and be sure to correct any misinformation.
• If you must have a hospital stay inquire about who might have access to your records. If your concerned with the response you get, ask to see their "access logs".
• Try as much as possible to restrict the amount of your personal medical information that might be released to employers or insurers. Try to avoid signing blanket authorizations to release of information. You might ask if you can restrict your authorization to a specific provider or hospital.
• If you'd prefer not to have your personal information sold, don't fill out medical questionnaires, surveys, or respond to questions connected to drug promotions.
• Request a copy of your Medical Information Bureau report. (See above)
• If your employer is self-insured ask for a copy of their policy for maintaining and releasing medical information.
• Avoid giving out your social security number whenever possible.
• Maintain a personal policy of NOT giving out health information over the phone. You should also insure that your health-care provider is NOT authorized to release your medical records without your written authorization  (See: lrs-ed-uiuc-edu/wp/privacy/persprivacy.html)

ONLINE & E-MAIL

Internet 

Consider using a service such as Anonymizer that conceal your IP address while surfing.  (See: www-anonymizer-com)

Consider disabling the accumulation of Cookies The threat to privacy posed by ‘Cookies’ collected by you web browser and how to deal with it. (See www-junkbusters-com/cookies.html)

Passwords 

Passwords are a vital component of online privacy. The password letters and numbers you choose are like the keys to your information-related life. Passwords used for voice mail, bank access or even a combination bike lock make you only as secure as the password you've chosen.   So it's important NOT to use the same password for everything.  That said, you already know that they should be easy to remember (so you don't have to write them down), but hard to guess so that others won't!  For example DON'T use a part of your social security number, middle name, pet's name, birthday, etc.  for your bank PIN number.  If you do, it's not unreasonable to assume that a crook might be able to figure it out. (See: www-chiprowe-com/articles/privacy.html)

Opt-Out of on-line info. gathering 

DoubleClick’s uses what's called a DART cookie for its ad-serving and search products that is not client-specific. As a result if you choose to opt-out from using DoubleClick’s DART cookie that decision will be effective for all of the websites and advertisers that use DoubleClick’s ad-serving and search technologies.   In addition most other third-party online advertising companies provide some sort of opt-out mechanism for their ad cookies. (See www-networkadvertising-org).

To initiate the removal of a DoubleClick DART cookie, follow the procedure at the following link. (See: www-doubleclick-com/us/about_doubleclick/privacy/dart_adserving.asp)

SPAM

Begin by NEVER replying to spammers form any reason including their promise to remove your name from their lists.  Any response verifies that the account is active, and may lead to even more unwanted E-mail. You might consider subscribing to a service or installing anti-spam software that often employs a "challenge-response" approach to eliminating SPAM.  There are a number of these services.  (A sample to help start your investigation is SpamArrest. See: www-spamarrest-com/tryit/index.jsp?1186890264663)

Renew

Every January, the Direct Marketing Association clears from it's 'no-mail' files any names that have been present for five years. That means consumers must renew their request.  And, you may have guessed, you should not expect a reminder since it's certainly in their best interest to have the “no-mail” list as small as possible.  Direct marketers know that their mail order activities are just a numbers game, and mail-order companies plan to make a profit even if 95+ percent of their mail gets thrown in the garbage. For some higher-prices items, they can make a profit on just a one percent response.  (See: www-chiprowe-com/articles/privacy.html)

Google

It may well be 'the' Internet search site, but one of it's practices might expose you to much more that you 'd like.  Specifically, Google places a cookie on each user's computer that expires in 2038.  Using this cookie, Google can log your entire search history. And, in fact they've announced that they don't plan to delete them!
 
It's somewhat reassuring that this cookie does not directly identify you by name, but an analysis of your search history over time can definitely help an abusive user to determine your identity  You can eliminate this concern by using an anonymous proxy for web surfing, but there is a performance (e.g. slow down) price to pay that encourages most people to simply use the direct non-anonymous internet access that they started with

Here are some things to try:

1. Get access to an anonymous web proxy. ( A sample is the Tor network)
2. Begin using Mozilla Firefox.
3. Install the Firefox 'FoxyProxy extension'
4. Use the FoxyProxy configuration to add an entry for your anonymous proxy. Within this proxy, add two whitelist wildcard rules, as follows:
   o     *-google-com/*
   o     google-com/
5. Clear out all your browser cookies
6. Set Firefox so that it discards cookies when you close Firefox (Edit/Preferences/Privacy/Cookies)
7. If there are any other sites that may be unduly logging (e.g. as with Google above) your activity, and don't have a regular log deletion policy, add entries for these sites into your 'anonymous proxy matchlist' in FoxyProxy.

Tips for Protecting Personal Online Privacy

Take the time to register your Mail, Phone and E-mail preferences with the Direct Marketing Association’ s corresponding Mail, Telephone and E-mail preference lists.

You can fill out the online form with all required information. There is a $1 fee you can pay using a credit card that verifies your registration, and helps to protect the registration process itself from fraud. This online procedure is the fastest way to see results.
OR
Alternatively, you can complete a mail-in registration form and mail it with a $1 check or money order, payable to the Direct Marketing Association, (The relevant address is on the form.)

Mailing & E-mail - (See:  https-//www.dmachoice-org/dma/member/home.action;jsessionid=816D460ACD13C279298A01FBF09D79A8.tomcat2)

E-Mail Forwarding

There are many free and for-fee services that will provide E-mail forwarding.  Some with ‘value-added’ SPAM filtering, black and white lists, etc. 

TELEPHONE

There are an increasing number of 'FREE' and 'paid for' services that offer a variety of features from simple forwarding, to number-by-number pre-programming of how incoming calls are to be handled.  We've described a few products by name as samples of what's available and to offer some guidelines to assist in determining what might be right for you! (You can find several such items listed on eBay by searching 'Telephone Privacy'.)

Number.Com

One example of many such services was the no longer in business ‘Number.Com’ where they identifide the benefits of their service as follows:

• Protects anonymity
• Acts as a disposable number
• Provides 24x7 Reach-ability
• Offers a Call-to-get™ number
• You don't have to be on-line to get a number!
• Helps you manage your number
• Provides call screening
• Provides a do not disturb (e.g. from 9PM to 8AM)
• Helps you block telemarketers!
• Let's you set Parental Controls
• Maintains YourCallRecords™
• Gives you an iNumbr™ widget 

Got Voice

This is a FREE services that allows you to retrieve and listen to your voicemail online.   Cell and/or home voicemail is sent to your email inbox as an MP3 file, or you can listen to messages online at GotVoice-com. (See: www-gotvoice-com)

Hello Direct Caller ID Manager

If have gone to answer the phone only to discover a caller ID that it's yet another “anonymous” caller you can instead get only the calls you want.  This is possible with Hello Direct's Caller ID Manager.  It's programmable to allow ONLY your pre-approved callers. Others get sent to voice mail or another answering device, or even to another extension.  It can also be programmed to ignore certain callers and simply let their calls go unanswered without ringing your phone.

The device allows you to program up to 175 numbers and select from several screening options that allow only calls you want to get through.

• Block anonymous numbers
• Invite or exclude callers
• Huge database
• Voice mail/VoIP compatible
• Large backlit Caller ID display
• Plus much more

(See: www-hellodirect-com/hellodirect/Shop?)

Anonymous Call Rejection

Anonymous Call Rejection Is a feature that many services and some devices (e.g Hello Direct's Caller ID Manager above) make available to simply reject calls that are not from known (e.g. pre-programmed) numbers. 

National Do-Not-Call Directory

Of interest to many, particularly cell phone users who pay when calls are received is the national 'D0-Not-Call' directory which can be reached using the phone you'd like to register by dialing 888-382-1222 or visiting their website at their website www-DoNotCall-Gov (<-- copy, paste and correct).

PERSONAL or RESIDENCE ADDRESS

Mail and delivery for pick-up or forwarding

There are of course many services, in most all larger cities including every state and most countries internationally, that will provide mail (e.g. paper mail or 'snail-mail') forwarding and delivery services.  In addition to many other valid reasons, these can be used to help protect your personal or residence address. 

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