What Do You Do? (Full Version)

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Nicole -> What Do You Do? (6/28/2005 18:12:25)

A friend of mine typed her name into Google, three results appeared. The third of which was her name address and phone number. Like many, she panicked, contacted me and asked what she could do.

I did a little research on this website as the Google link took you to a “Access Forbidden” screen meaning that it was a secure area of their website, but with little difficulty I managed to view the secure area without signing in, and viewed several client databases with names, addresses, phone details and amazingly a remarks area.

I figured she’d, at some stage filled out an e-form on their site to enquire about their services. I noticed on their site which was like one of those “area guides”, offering lists of local businesses, that there was no privacy policy or terms of use, which is not only very poor, I’m wondering if it’s against the law?

I suggested she phone the website owner today and ask that her name be removed from their records and advised her that it may take several weeks for it to be removed from Google. All the time I was thinking “this is great, she’ll cause an issue about this, the website owner will be furious with the designer, in a few days I’ll ‘innocently’ write to the website owner and offer my web design services and ask them if they’re happy with the services they’re getting from their existing web designer”, hopefully they’ll say no and we’ll go from there.

But the catch is, the website owner is the designer. They seem to be a glossy company based in another city, they offer web design as one of many services and it also seems that they contract their web design work out. They use FP to design their sites and they look great, only that they don’t validate, nave no doctype all of that. So I’m wondering:


  • If they have no privacy policy have they broken any laws by allowing a “secure” area to become searchable?
  • Is it my friend’s fault for filling in a form and not understanding who it was going to or what was going to happen to her information?
  • Would you as a designer, offer your services to a company like this, highlighting that you can make websites validate?
  • Or do I contact their clients, many of which seem to be large organizations, spell out the incompetence shown by their web designer and offer my services?


Thanks

Nicole



Donkey -> RE: What Do You Do? (6/28/2005 19:29:19)

I find your reaction to this interesting.

I don't understand why you and your friend are so horrified, unless you could access really confidential information like bank account details or credit references. All of our addresses and telephone numbers are available on line at a number of sites. In the UK there are several free Directory enquires sites where all you need to search is a last name and a partial post code. In addition there are census sites and people finder sites ranging from free ones to very sophisticated paid for services. Also for a small fee I can get a trading report and full financial details for most registrered businesses.

It's all there waiting to be discovered so why get excited because your name and telephone number are also available on this site? To me it's no big deal.

If you offer your services to either the company or it's clients you will need to be very diplomatic, if you go in hard criticising their work you run the risk of alienating them. Particularly the clients who are probably ignorant of issues like conformity to standards and accessibility. They will almost certainly regard you as some sort of crank (in their terms) who is asking them to spend even more money than they have already just shelled out to the other cowboy outfit that designed their site.

It might be better to disguise your approach as a general (untargeted) mail shot pointing out the advantages of good practice and the possible legal consequences of non-compliance. You could offer a free appraisal of their site, then follow the letter (or e-mail) with a telephone call about a week later. This way they won't suspect that you have singled out their site and are less likely to make a quick negative decision.



Nicole -> RE: What Do You Do? (6/28/2005 19:46:24)

Hi Donkey,

Of course our records are available somewhere for those who are devious enough to look for them. My fiance's an Investigator, I know the methods he uses to track down people and the internet is one. We have pretty strict privacy laws here in Australia though, and i'm not aware of any website that you can search for people here, besides the phone book and just typing a name into a search engine.

The principle in this case is that my friend has very good reasons for not wanting her address made more easily attainable, and this company has had no privacy policy on the page where the form appeared, nor did they explain what they do with the information.

The following extracts are taken from the National Privacy Commissioner's Website

quote:

4. Data security

4.1 An organisation must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.


quote:

5. Openness

5.1 An organisation must set out in a document clearly expressed policies on its management of personal information. The organisation must make the document available to anyone who asks for it.


Nicole



BobbyDouglas -> RE: What Do You Do? (6/28/2005 20:53:31)

Usually there is a way to manually opt out of these things. But you will have to check often to make sure they didn't put you back up.



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