The right to privacy, or the privacy rights of an individual, in the United States are widely contested everyday. While there is not a specific outline for the “Right to Privacy” in the founding documents, the courts have done their hardest to carve out what the “Right to Privacy” really means to Americans. This hasn’t been an easy feat to accomplish and with the rise of technology in modern times, it’s definitely an uphill battle.

We consumers have had our hands full the last two decades trying to make sure we understand what information about us is where and who has access to it. With the expansion of the World Wide Web, many new concerns have come out of the works for people about security and safety of information and privacy.

There are, of course, numerous rules of thumb to keep in mind when dealing with sensitive data on the Internet. “Only deal with reputable dealers,” and “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true,” are two mantras to keep in mind when shopping online. Not opening and not re-forwarding (or, at the very least, copying and pasting the contents of) forwarded emails can help reduce the spread of various viruses. Choosing secure passwords helps keep your data protected.

The best way to protect oneself, though, is to be informed. The recent news of a Philadelphia High School activating remote access to a webcam on a student’s MacBook while they were at home is disturbing and rattling to any parent or person, as you can’t find a laptop on the market these days that doesn’t have a webcam as standard equipment. Knowing the capabilities of your computer can help you anticipate how your privacy may be compromised.

OWC has been and continues to be committed to our customers’ privacy. We take prodigious care, continuously looking for new ways to keep our community safe. You can find information on how OWC protects its customers right on our Web site.

Our hope is that people pay attention to their (and others’) past mistakes and always take time to get to know the machines they are using. We are definitely committed to making sure that our customers have as much information about what type of technology they are buying as possible, so if you have questions, just ask! Knowing the capabilities of your computer is important to protecting your privacy – it’s not just about bragging rights for the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos!