Online identity management How to protect your online identity Tina van der Linden Workshop...

Online identity management

How to protect your online identity

Tina van der Linden

Workshop Visibility

October 26, 2012

Utrecht University Library

Online identity management

• Starting point: informational privacy• So: how do you want others to view you?• Build an online identity on the basis of that

view • But how to deal with data that do not

contribute to that view?

Online identity management

• Keep track of what can be found about you on the internet (Google, Google-scholar, wieowie – other suggestions)? Does it match your preferred view?

• Search engine optimalisation on keywords you want to be found on

• Create alert (Google, wieowie)• Create different identities for different roles (the

academic, the musician, the rugby-player, the gamer, the escort ….etc.), and keep them apart if they don’t contribute.

Mindmap copied fromhttp://www.solongmediocrity.com/identity-and-how-it-may-impose-limitations/

Non-contributing data

• Someone with the same name?– make clear that you are different persons

• Irrelevant personal data:– notice-and-take down request (to author or to

platform-provider)– prevent upload by switching off tagging,

opting out, etc. • and always ask others to consent if you publish

anything about them– push down on the page rank by adding

contributing data

Non-contributing data

• Malign information– push down on the page rank by adding

contributing data– notice-and-take-down request, possibly

followed by legal action (libel)• But be aware of the risk you take: adverse effect

– wait till it blows over, but monitor archives, cache-copies, etc.

Examples

• GeenStijl publication about drunken student, newsitem, decision

• Model making love on the beach, newsitem

• Politician embarrassed by daughter’s Hyve page, newsitem (in Dutch)

• …… any suggestions?