Legal Aspects of Online Privacy
The laws that ensure your security online
Protecting personal information online is essential for any internet user. Any time you visit a website, enter any sort of phone number, enter your email, fill out forms, or even post on social media, you are putting out your personal information (PI) into the cyber worse. This poses as a risk because anyone can be given permission to go through your PI and you might be completely unaware of it. Luckily, since the creation of the Internet and the growing risk of breaches of online privacy, there are a number of laws in place to protect one's information.
Each state has their own laws, but here are some federal laws that have been amended:
- Computer Fraud & Abuse Act (CFAA) [1986] – makes unlawful certain computer-related activities involving the unauthorized access of a computer to obtain certain information, defraud or obtain anything of value, transmit harmful items, or traffic in computer passwords. The law has been in amended six times.
- Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) [1998] – requires certain website and online service providers to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from minors under the age of 13. It also requires websites to post an online privacy policy, collect only the personal information necessary, and create and maintain reasonable security measures.
- Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM Act) [2003] – governs sending unsolicited commercial email and prohibits misleading header information and deceptive subject lines. It also requires senders to disclose certain information, include a valid opt-out mechanism, and it creates civil and criminal penalties for violations.
- Financial Services Modernization Act (GLBA) [1999] – regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information collected or held by financial institutions and requires customer notices and a written information security program.
- Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) [2003] – requires financial institutions and creditors to maintain written identity theft prevention programs.
By: 
