Dirt Bikes: Developing a Website Privacy Policy
Ashley B. Hilliard
258-10-0169
June 1, 2011
MG 615
Lesson#10, Assignment 2
Dirt Bikes, Part XII
Developing a Web Site Privacy Policy
Dirt Bikes should adopt an "opt-in" model of informed consent. Business is prohibited from collecting any personal information unless the consumer specifically takes action to approve information collection and use. With "opt-in" method, privacy argument can be minimized. Some of the data that can be discovered when a user visits the Dirt Bikes USA web site are as followed: web browser type, IP address, operating system and version, plug-ins installed in the browser, and the web site the user came from previously. These are just a few of the many items. Java and ActiveX can expose much more information, and Internet Explorer tends to expose more information than other browsers. A list of everything that a browser can expose would take more than 450 words in itself. Some of this information can provide value to the company for demographic reasons. It would allow the company to determine which was the most prevalent browser used on the web site, and optimize the site for that browser. It would also allow the company to see where people were coming from, possibly setting up advertising opportunities. By tracking a user’s path through the website, it would be possible to discover possible design issues, and allow the site to be optimized for a better user experience. Privacy issues involved in collecting this type of data are more of a customer confidence issue than a legal issue. The laws relating to this are not very clear unless you are a financial institution, a health care organization, deal mainly with children, or do extensive business with the EU. All these situations would have legal ramifications covering collection and storage of personal data.
The advantages of cookie usage is mainly being able to present the customer with a better user experience, such as saving preferences or offering similar items for purchase
258-10-0169
June 1, 2011
MG 615
Lesson#10, Assignment 2
Dirt Bikes, Part XII
Developing a Web Site Privacy Policy
Dirt Bikes should adopt an "opt-in" model of informed consent. Business is prohibited from collecting any personal information unless the consumer specifically takes action to approve information collection and use. With "opt-in" method, privacy argument can be minimized. Some of the data that can be discovered when a user visits the Dirt Bikes USA web site are as followed: web browser type, IP address, operating system and version, plug-ins installed in the browser, and the web site the user came from previously. These are just a few of the many items. Java and ActiveX can expose much more information, and Internet Explorer tends to expose more information than other browsers. A list of everything that a browser can expose would take more than 450 words in itself. Some of this information can provide value to the company for demographic reasons. It would allow the company to determine which was the most prevalent browser used on the web site, and optimize the site for that browser. It would also allow the company to see where people were coming from, possibly setting up advertising opportunities. By tracking a user’s path through the website, it would be possible to discover possible design issues, and allow the site to be optimized for a better user experience. Privacy issues involved in collecting this type of data are more of a customer confidence issue than a legal issue. The laws relating to this are not very clear unless you are a financial institution, a health care organization, deal mainly with children, or do extensive business with the EU. All these situations would have legal ramifications covering collection and storage of personal data.
The advantages of cookie usage is mainly being able to present the customer with a better user experience, such as saving preferences or offering similar items for purchase