Is this normal? Would you be worried if your spouse blocked you from seeing his/her pictures on facebook? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 16, 2009 - 94 answers

Knowing that two of my housemates plan to leave the third one high and dry, while he has no idea about it, do I tell him? Or is this a breach of trust to them? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 14, 2009 - 25 answers

Can some of you amazing Internet security people explain to me how cautious I need to be about what I do online? Is there a way to explore ideas online that are ideas you'd normally keep private? Or -- do I perhaps not need to worry about this, given the way opposition research and government confirmations actually work? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 12, 2009 - 11 answers

My mom stalked my girlfriend's mailing address. This is not okay, right? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 10, 2009 - 72 answers

New facebook privacy settings. How do you hide friends from Google search results? How do you hide fan "pages" from non-facebook friends? Are these now permanently public?
posted by four panels on Dec 10, 2009 - 6 answers

I need a way to keep a browser state with tabs, cookies, passwords, forms all saved but password-protected and inaccessible. I have Mac OS 10.5.7 and I usually use Firefox, kinda hate Safari. [more inside]
posted by kathrineg on Dec 3, 2009 - 7 answers

My computer requires professional attention, but there's stuff I'd rather keep private sitting on my hard drive right now. How concerned should I be about what a technician might see/go looking for while working on my machine? [more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak on Dec 1, 2009 - 22 answers

My roommate has been watching what I do online- help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 27, 2009 - 37 answers

i made a big gaffe three years ago while creating my flickr account and set my URL (which you absolutely cannot change) to include my full name. setting up a new account just to be free of my name would be a huge hassle to say the least. is it worth it? [more inside]
posted by hagelslaag on Nov 15, 2009 - 8 answers

Where are some good spots in public where I can get privacy? [more inside]
posted by bobertdude on Nov 15, 2009 - 32 answers

How to remove a video featuring myself from Youtube or Myspace. Put otherwise: do I have any rights to this? [more inside]
posted by bumpkin on Nov 3, 2009 - 10 answers

Looking for a self-hosted, private alternative to Brightkite for sharing family stuff. [more inside]
posted by merlinmann on Nov 1, 2009 - 7 answers

Botany Filter: Looking for a a 6-8 ft tall hedge to give my yard some privacy. Examples of what I like and don't like inside. [more inside]
posted by TheDude on Oct 27, 2009 - 5 answers

What is good shared email account etiquette? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 23, 2009 - 34 answers

What exactly can a doctor's office tell anyone who happens to pick up your phone? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 21, 2009 - 11 answers

What are the privacy implications of ordering the 23andme DNA test? [more inside]
posted by wireless on Oct 17, 2009 - 2 answers

PrivacyFilter: Can you think of examples of offline anti-data mining behavior? We can encrypt our activities, use Tor, etc., online, but how do people try to stymie data mining in daily life? I'm thinking of groups sharing a "loyalty card" (like these guys) to break up the patterns of their shopping habits, and putting incorrect information into surveys and forms to make things harder to correlate (in theory), tack-in-the-shoe style. Other examples? (And, if you know more about data mining, do these methods actually accomplish anything?)
posted by finnb on Oct 15, 2009 - 23 answers

Many workplaces ban social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and so on. What are some of the reasons workplaces should allow (and even encourage) staff to use social networking sites? [more inside]
posted by Jaybo on Oct 14, 2009 - 20 answers

Are there application platforms for building quizzes on Facebook that are not EVIL? [more inside]
posted by ausernamenooneelsehas on Oct 5, 2009 - 1 answer

My wife struggles with depression and, occasionally, suicidal ideation. But she doesn't communicate well (or nearly at all), so I have no real way of knowing when she's having a crisis rather than just another string of bad days / weeks. Is it ethical to monitor her internet activity without her knowledge so I have some idea of when I need to get serious about intervening? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 29, 2009 - 40 answers

How far does -- or should -- a medical professional's ethical responsibility go when it comes to the health and well-being of strangers (i.e. people one might see on the street, or in line at the supermarket)? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte on Sep 18, 2009 - 31 answers

When I clicked on this article from this FPP, I got 3 Google text ads, 2 of which are directed at personal information about me. So I signed out of Google, cleared my cache, history, cookies, etc., and clicked on the link again. Same ads. How? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Sep 4, 2009 - 27 answers

If you do a search for my company’s website on Google, one of the top hits is a page at Quantcast.com that purports to display “visitor statistics” for our domain. These statistics are wildly inaccurate by orders of magnitude and make it look as though our site gets only a tiny percentage as many visitors as it actually does. What’s more, there are all kinds of demographic charts and info, purportedly about our site, that don’t seem to have any connection to reality whatsoever. How do I get them to stop misrepresenting us? [more inside]
posted by dacoit on Aug 27, 2009 - 17 answers

I just started a long-term medication (bupropion, for ADD) that interacts very, very badly with alcohol. I don't miss the booze itself, but not being able to drink throws all sorts of monkey wrenches into my social life. I need advice on how to be a non-drinker in the drinkingest town in the United States, New York City... where the default activity for any occaision is going out for a drink. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 17, 2009 - 41 answers

I've been trying to "disappear" on the internet for a while now, but every now and then I realize I've linked myself back to something I regret saying online or even online profiles which are benign but still don't want linked to me. What can I do to "lose my identity" online to the point of being completely disjoint from my past? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 16, 2009 - 9 answers

My health insurance company accidentally sent me someone else's (extremely) personal and confidential information in the mail. They have no idea if or where my own information may have been sent. What should I do? [more inside]
posted by Dilemma on Aug 13, 2009 - 7 answers

OK, I give up - I suppose it's time I joined Facebook... but how do I minimise the damage? [more inside]
posted by Nice Guy Mike on Aug 13, 2009 - 39 answers

Is it appropriate to use an email address given as a part of a donation to send a short thank you note, when the person making the donation through my website did not consent to me using their email address? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 29, 2009 - 14 answers

Decor-challenged homeowner seeks pet-proof window coverings. Please share your experiences and recommendations. [more inside]
posted by anderjen on Jul 29, 2009 - 13 answers

So, I inadvertently sent my phone number and address to a Craigslist Scammer. What problems could this pose me? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 16, 2009 - 4 answers

Does Google Voice record all calls connected through the service, and if so, would those calls be subpoenable? [more inside]
posted by GamblingBlues on Jul 13, 2009 - 9 answers

When considering a sites privacy certification would it bother you if it was from eTrust or do you much prefer TRUSTe? or would you be happy with either?
posted by jakubsnm on Jul 6, 2009 - 9 answers

Any firsthand experience with the Firefox add-on TACO (Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-out)? It looks really interesting, but I've only begun my research into its effectiveness.
posted by malaprohibita on Jul 1, 2009 - 1 answer

Privacy issues in the floral industry, also known as "How to stay out of customer's divorce cases".... [more inside]
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies on Jun 24, 2009 - 27 answers

A couple of people at my company have accidently sent emails to groups of contacts using the To: field rather than the Bcc: field against company policy. What are the legal ramifications? [more inside]
posted by talkingmuffin on Jun 23, 2009 - 15 answers

How can I hide files from a tech-savvy person? [more inside]
posted by rintako on Jun 14, 2009 - 37 answers

How do I remove my old web content after my domain has expired and I can't find any record of my old hosting company online? [more inside]
posted by amanlikeme on Jun 11, 2009 - 8 answers

How is it legal to post people's social security numbers on the internet for everyone to see? [more inside]
posted by rubberkey on Jun 9, 2009 - 6 answers

How can a competent but not technical geek person browse internet as securely and privately as possible, keep files private on a pc etc? Linux distro? specifics - [more inside]
posted by Not Supplied on Jun 8, 2009 - 12 answers

Facebook gives you the option of looking through your private email contacts (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) to see if you're not connected to them through the social networking site yet. Why are they keeping my login information on hand? [more inside]
posted by scarykarrey on Jun 1, 2009 - 14 answers

I like the idea of Mint.com, and have read all their statements regarding how secure it is, but more than once I have bailed at the point where they ask for your bank info. Am I being overly concerned about this?
posted by R. Mutt on May 27, 2009 - 39 answers

I think my b/f read my journal and is mad at me for what I said. Not sure how to ask him if I'm right. [more inside]
posted by my_thai on May 1, 2009 - 28 answers

How are violations of a website/vendor's privacy policy enforced? [more inside]
posted by toxic on Apr 25, 2009 - 11 answers

Are there any sources via programs, web browsers, firefox add-ons, or web services that allow someone to truly surf anonymously? [more inside]
posted by randomthoughts on Apr 24, 2009 - 6 answers

Car dealer forced me to sign an illegal FTC privacy notice - offering no opt out. Help me change his business method so he doesn't do this to others. [more inside]
posted by jimmyjimjim on Apr 8, 2009 - 28 answers

Help! My boyfriend/roommate has less time for me than he used to, and now I feel like I'm sabotaging my relationship with insecurity and anxiety. Help me deal with this without being crazy and treating my already-stressed boyfriend badly. [more inside]
posted by bubukaba on Apr 6, 2009 - 18 answers

how can I restrict my landlord's access to my suite, which is also my home office. i'm leaving a month from now. he wants to be able to show it between 9 and 5 every day, and call a couple of hours in advance. [more inside]
posted by klanawa on Apr 1, 2009 - 20 answers

How does google image search find untagged people in a Picasa web album? How can I make it stop? [more inside]
posted by emmykm on Apr 1, 2009 - 11 answers

Can files be hidden on a website in such a way that virtually all visitors will not be able to access them without a key or specific url? [more inside]
posted by dances_with_sneetches on Mar 31, 2009 - 14 answers

Is it possible to obtain logs of old facebook chat conversations? [more inside]
posted by Raynyn on Mar 10, 2009 - 4 answers