On this era with Facebook, MySpace, and other Web 2.0 stuffs, do you feel that you are losing your privacy (and security) bit by bit?
I was activating my new credit card today through the phone (it’s meant to expire soon, so they sent me a new card to be renewed) and realized that the bank uses my date of birth to confirm my identity.
Only the date of birth? That’s…. scary.
Why is it scary?
Well have you realized so far, that you have filled in some online (and offline) forms with your date of birth? When you register to a web service, a forum, or whatever that is, did you remember filling in your real date of birth on the form? Not to mention that you have these social sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster who’ll gladly tell the whole world your own security password (a.k.a your date of birth?). It’s true that you can limit who can see your date of birth, but how far do you trust your childhood friends whom you haven’t seen for 20 years? Or what can limit them from telling other people what your date of birth is?
Some services also have secret questions (in which hopefully you are the only one who knows about the answer) but some others are still using date of birth as a mere tool to identify you being the real you.
After this incident, I don’t think I’ll ever write my real date of birth again when I register to web services… Am I just being paranoid or someone else has realized this too?
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s why I never give out my real birthday – never. Maybe on some VERY trusted sites like my bank account or maybe my email address where absolutely everything is precious. Otherwise, I keep the year (I don’t want people to think I’m 64), but use a fake month and date. Always the same fake date though, so I don’t forget it if they do ask me later!
Works for me!
Also, I’m not joined to Facebook or MySpace or any of those kinds of services. I kind of even regret getting YouTube, since I don’t really have anything that interesting to post as videos. In that same way, I don’t need Facebook. I have Gmail chat to chat with my friends. And I don’t have dozens of people I need to keep in contact with…
But yes, I absolutely agree – security is always dwindling. As for privacy, it really depends on how much you reveal on the Internet. Though your friends may be the culprits too – my friends took a picture of me, then posted it on DeviantArt. Can’t exactly sue them can I, but can’t do anything about it either…
Hahah.. I might try to find it on DeviantArt one day! Never know how do you look like
Good idea about having the same fake month and date. It’d be funny if you have to make a few guesses of your own birthday over the phone now, wouldn’t it
That is pretty scary! They usually asked me for the last four of my SS#. I agree with the privacy
thing,but we all put our information out there. It’s just easier for people to access.
Well we don’t have a social security number here in Australia (although the government were planning to create one)
Write real date of birth on free web service, uhmm I NEVER did it and after read this I,m sure what I’ve done is correct.
I guess I really want everyone to know how old I am
A lot of privacy has been given up by various individuals, but I wouldn’t say that much has been lost by those that didn’t want to lose it. People performing acts that are not ordinary while in public have always had the chance of being pictured or videotaped, and the chance of this has only gone up as more methods of social sharing have come up.
It’s so true that it’s beyond scary O_o
That’s scary! I hope your bank uses secret question system other than asking for your birthday. One other secret question that is harmful too, is asking for your mother’s maiden name!
I think the bank should consider developing other methods of verifying identity other than asking for the birthday. Perhaps a validation code. I don’t think campaigning against the use of social sites might help. Banks will have to learn to adapt to the changing times.
Well I do have a secret word with the bank and it’s usually used whenever I do something big (like reporting a lost card, etc). But yeah, they need to do it on every other important things too, like renewing/activating my new card
Hey, Michael, there’s no absolute privacy, once you give it out, they know, but they won’t use it fortunately.
I guess I’m expecting to live in an ideal world with total privacy
This is scary stuff. It does not worry me too much as we ladies have been lying about our ages for years now.
You should not tell any truth in internet. It is my own experience. People can easily know who you are and all information about with very few clicks. So you have to be very carefull.
PS: Thank for dropping my card.
I am from: http://entrecardseo.blogspot.com/
Thanks.. apparently not everyone realizes this (including myself lol)
omg i got this a day after you posted this on the e-mail subscription…Anyways, what comboy said is quite true—not telling truth on the internet. You never know who will look at your stuff so you should always be careful. I never put my real date of birth on anything before
Once ou give it out. it’s gonna stay out there and you can’t take it back so you should always think about what you put on the internet
PS:My real name really IS Ben
But I can get my free juice on my birthday (boostjuice.com.au)
Keep doing regular credit report checks…….if someone’s trying to attack your identity and steal your personal information, clues will generally be available on your credit reports.
Don’t know how to to credit report checks
I don’t think we have a tool to check it ourself
Hmmm, good one. I was able to put in a bogus name for my friendster, myspace, stumbleupon, digg, mixx accounts. But then I realized I put my real name (as if I had no choice) in facebook. I regret the fact that I signed-up for facebook. I should have stopped when I typed my real name on its registration page. Now its goodbye privacy.
Guess I shouldn’t put my real name on this blog..oops, it’s too late now, isn’t it?
Yup, with these online social networks that require our real identity as user names, our privacy seems to be compromised. You can now track most people’s lives with their online activities. It’s strange and scary.
Well you can almost always find someone in Google or Facebook, it’s scary
When you say it like that it is pretty scary. But I think your bank is that one that you should contact. Ask them why that is the only information that is asked of you to confirm your identity. Any banks that I am a member of have a series of questions that they ask me – which is better than just the one.
Call them… now! lol