Challenge | Protect Your Privacy Like You’re Famous

91% of Americans “agree” or “strongly agree” that people have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by all kinds of entities and 80% of social media users said they were concerned about companies accessing the data they share on social media platforms. (Source: Pew Research Center)

Privacy is a spectrum that ranges from fully identified to pseudo-anonymous. Your challenge is to determine where you land on the spectrum of digital privacy. To begin, Copy or Download this document so you can edit it and follow the steps below.

Less Private                                                                                      More Private

        -20           -15            -10        -5          Neutral          +5         +10              +15         +20

Preferences:

OK with companies and friends knowing your exact location.

OK with companies targeting you with ads based on your behavior.

OK with others contributing to your social media profile.

OK with companies and friends knowing what you read and search.

Preferences:

Prefer others not knowing your location, full name, or birthday.

Prefer not being targeted ads based on your online behavior.

Prefer staying in control of content about yourself.

Prefer others not knowing what you read or search.

Instructions:

  1. Predict where you think you fall on the spectrum by guessing a # between -20 and +20: __________.
  2. Complete Round 1 (Questions 1-8), starting at Neutral (zero), highlighting each Yes/No answer in yellow, and then updating your score. When you complete Round 1, regroup as a class to discuss your scores.
  3. Complete Round 2 (Questions 9-20). Regroup to discuss how your Final Score compares to your guess.

Rules

  • Verify each Privacy Setting by opening your device or app to each specified setting.
  • If you don’t use social media or a device, answer with your preferences, as if you did.

Round 1 Privacy Settings:

  1. Phone Location - Do you keep your phone location turned on throughout the day?

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Read Receipts - Do you allow people to see when you read their texts?

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Profile Visibility - Do you set your most-used social media profile to “public”?

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Geo-Location - Have you shared your geo-location in any of your last 5 social media posts?

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Photo Tags - Do you allow photos that people tag of you to automatically appear on your IG profile? (i.e. Instagram Settings > Privacy > Tags)

                -1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Phone Location Storage - Do you prohibit your phone from automatically storing and knowing your favorite locations? (iPhone Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations)

                -1   No                 +1  Yes                       Score _______

  1. Instagram Ad Profile - Are you comfortable with Instagram profiling you based on your clicks, searches, and engagements and targeting you with ads that you will more likely click on? (Instagram Settings > Security > Access Data > Ad Interests. Click on View All to see how Instagram profiles and targets you.)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Location-Based Alerts, Apple Ads, & Suggestions - Do you prohibit your phone manufacturer from alerting you, sharing ads, or making suggestions of apps to install based on your exact physical location? (iPhone Settings > Location Services > System Services > Location-Based Alerts, Apple Ads, Suggestions)

        -1   No                 +1  Yes          Round 1 Score: ________

Round 2 Privacy Settings:

(Start with your Round 1 Score from Page 1)

  1. Passcode - Do you require a passcode to open your device? (Settings > Face ID & Passcode) 

        -1   No                 +1  Yes                       Score _______

  1. Instagram Search History - Are you comfortable with Instagram (or other apps) knowing and saving accounts and hashtags you previously searched for?  (Instagram Settings > Security > Access Data > Search History) 

-1   Yes                 +1  No                            Score _______

  1. Snap Map - Do you enable Ghost Mode on Snapchat so that all of your Snapchat contacts don’t know exactly where you are at all times? (Snapchat Settings > Ghost Mode)

-1   No                 +1  Yes                            Score _______

  1. Contacts Access - Do you allow more than 5 apps to access all of your contacts? (Settings > Privacy > Contacts)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                      Score _______

  1. Photos Access - Do you allow more than 5 apps to access your photos? (Settings > Privacy > Photos)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Microphone Access - Do you allow more than 5 apps to access your mic? (Settings > Privacy > Microphone)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                       Score _______

  1. Camera Access - Do you allow more than 5 apps to access your camera? (Settings > Privacy > Camera)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                    Score _______

  1. Location-Sharing - Do you allow more than 5 apps to access your location While Using or Always? (Settings > Privacy > Location Services)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                          Score _______

  1. Phone Analytics - Do you prohibit your phone from sharing usage data and diagnostics with the manufacturer? (Settings > Privacy > Analytics)

-1   No                 +1  Yes                      Score _______

  1. Phone Ad Tracking - Do you opt-out of receiving ads targeted to you in the iOS App Store or Apple News based on your online behavior?  (Settings > Privacy > Analytics)

-1   No                 +1  Yes                        Score _______

  1. Passwords - Do you allow your phone to remember and auto-fill all of your passwords? (Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Autofill Passwords)

-1   Yes                 +1  No                          Score _______

  1. Bluetooth - Do you keep your Bluetooth on, even when you’re not using it? (Settings > Bluetooth)

-1   Yes                 +1  No           FINAL SCORE _______ 

       

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