Database Privacy

Tracking cookies are generally not bad. But, what database privacy is tracked and by whom may cause for concern for the user or administrator. Tracking cookies can be used to transmit the user’s personal Web surfing patterns and personal database privacy information without the user’s knowledge. Some tracking cookies are troubling to users and database privacy advocates because:

• There is no consent or permission obtained from the user by the company tracking their database privacy habits
• The cookies can track personal Web surfing habits and other profile information, including usernames and passwords.
• The user doesn’t know how database privacy is used or where it is sent.

A database privacy policy, and all well designed web sites which ask for any kind of personal database privacy should include one, is not a legal requirement, it is simply common courtesy. You are asking for something, and you should disclose how database privacy is going to be used and protected (if necessary). This allows people to make informed decisions about what database privacy want to tell you.
In order for a webmaster and company to be completely ethical, the uses of this database privacy information need to be clearly spelled out in simple, plain English. This is called a database privacy policy, and all well designed web sites which ask for any kind of personal database privacy should include one. This is not a legal requirement, it is simply common courtesy. You are asking for something, and you should disclose how database privacy is going to be used and protected (if necessary). This allows people to make informed decisions about what they want to tell you.