3 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2025
  2. pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca
    Chapter 3: Understanding Digital Citizenship
    3
    1. BenBerres 31 Mar 2025
      Install a script-blocking browser extension.

      I think that this is an excellent solution to the problem of device fingerprinting, but requires more explanation and training than just "install this." Many extensions exist that block scripts, but the reality is that many websites simply do not function without scripts, so extensive knowledge about what scripts need to be blocked and when is paramount. I wish it was as simple as "install this" but unfortunately it is not. The funniest part of all of this is that when I clicked on the link to see which one it was recommending, I have configured my browser and it blocked the script.

    2. BenBerres 31 Mar 2025
      The biggest concern with cookies is that they enable targeted online advertising by sharing your usage and browsing data with advertisers. In addition, certain advertisers use cookies that can span across multiple websites (third-party cookies), collecting extensive data about your browsing behaviour and enabling advertisers to generate a detailed user profile of you based on your site-specific activities. This profile is anonymous; however, in addition to being a potential privacy violation, it can compromise equity of future information access.

      This is the literal reason that in general, I run around clicking deny all to any cookies, or at least read the agreement if it does not let me deny. While this is too far on the other end of the spectrum of a valid response to giving access to information, I think it is a better solution than accepting blindly. Normally whenever I teach people this they are surprised by what cookies do, which is something we should be increasingly worried about.

    3. BenBerres 31 Mar 2025
      Let’s face it, very few people read the “terms and conditions,” or the “terms of use” agreements prior to installing an application (app). These agreements are legally binding, and clicking “I agree” may permit apps (the companies that own them) to access your: calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, or storage, as well as details and information about your friends.  While some applications require certain device permissions to support functionality—for example, your camera app will most likely need to access your phone’s storage to save the photos and videos you capture—other permissions are questionable. Does a camera app really need access to your microphone? Think about the privacy implications of this decision. When downloading an app, stop and consider: Have you read the app’s terms of use? Do you know what you’re giving the app permission to access? (e.g., your camera, microphone, location information, contacts, etc.) Can you change the permissions you’ve given the app without affecting its functionality? Who gets access to the data collected through your use of the app, and how will it be used? What kind of privacy options does the app offer?

      I think there is something that needs changing beyond how we interact with EULA (End User License Agreements) when we get access to an app. Here in the US, EULAs are complex and long, which is what makes us click agree without reading. If our nation could implement functions like nations in Europe have for EULAs, we could keep them simpler and readable, which is better for the consumer. I think this is most of the real solution, fixing the EULAs themselves, not fixing how we read the EULAs.

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    pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/digcit/chapter/chapter-3-digital-citizenship/