Abstract

The present study investigates the differences in the way commercial, educational and governmental Web sites communicate their informational privacy practices through the privacy policies posted on the Web. Specifically, the research identifies differences in the coverage of the Fair Information Practice principles within the analyzed privacy policies. The study suggests that the sharpest dissimilarity exists in the coverage of the principles of Access (allowing Web users to review and update the data collected about them) and Security (protecting users' personal information during transmission and subsequent storage), where commercial sites greatly outnumber educational and governmental sites. However, governmental and educational sites use personal information for secondary purposes or share the information with third parties less frequently than commercial sites.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Privacy, Right of; Data protection; Disclosure of information

Publication Date

11-17-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Department of Communication (CLA)

Advisor

Pugliese, Rudy

Advisor/Committee Member

Henderson, Tona

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: JC596.2.U5 B39 2003

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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