Data privacy In tech

[Dan-Kode]

CodeForum has the same ability to track you as any other service.

@Ghost is right about this.

When you Sign-Up for a Forum, you're giving away your Email, Name, Date of Birth(This is required due to COPPA) and Gender. Then of course, as any other Website, they store that Info inside a Cookie for you to login and out of your Account.

But you see, behind what seems like minimal amounts of Data-Collection on a Forum, they're also collecting other forms of Information about you. This includes:

• IP Address(Which can be traced to your Location)
• What you Post and what you Read
• Other Forms of Information that you've written on your Profile(Like your Social Media Accounts and Interests)

those are some examples of what Information is being gathered and stored about you on a Forum.

Now, I myself, used to own a couple Forums and I was able to see every Member's IP-Address. Just think about that for second. I could've used the IP Addresses to track you down. But of course, I didn't track you down. I just stored the IP Address associated with your Account and just let it be.

And the thing is, you're on a Forum right now. So the people who run and moderate this Site have access to see things like your IP Address and hundreds of Logs that print out every single thing you do.

Only if it is my real IP address

I'm assuming that you're using a VPN? If so, what if the VPN-Provider's Database got leaked or broke down. Your IP would be exposed for every Website to see.

I wish you a lot of fun with that, too. I doubt you can do much with the data I leave behind.

You do realise that there is a lot we can do with your Information. We can give it away to the Authorities, sell it on the Deep or Dark-Web, use it to Track you down and trace it back to any other Accounts. And there is plenty more that can be done with your Information. Even if the Information you leave behind is very minimal, we can still use it.

 

[Tealk]

Or, in an ideal world they could disagree & those services would be disabled.

That would be the optimal solution.

Now, I myself, used to own a couple Forums and I was able to see every Member's IP-Address. Just think about that for second. I could've used the IP Addresses to track you down. But of course, I didn't track you down. I just stored the IP Address associated with your Account and just let it be.

I don't know if it's a German or an EU regulation. But an IP address can only be stored for a short time and then has to be deleted.

I'm assuming that you're using a VPN? If so, what if the VPN-Provider's Database got leaked or broke down. Your IP would be exposed for every Website to see.

Exactly for this reason I do not use VPN
I'm not saying it's impossible to locate me either. But I think it's a lot more work than a 0815 user.

 

[Dan-Kode]

I don't know if it's a German or an EU regulation. But an IP address can only be stored for a short time and then has to be deleted.


Exactly for this reason I do not use VPN
I'm not saying it's impossible to locate me either. But I think it's a lot more work than a 0815 user.

As for the IP Address, I'm sure it's an EU Regulation. Something to do with GDPR. Now you see, all of my Forums used SimpleMachinesForum. Unfortunately though, I'm not aware with what happened to the IP Addresses. I did also use a modified version of SimpleMachinesForum(https://createaforum.com). This modified version of the Software of course, letted you easily set-up a Forum but it also came with some Settings related to GDPR.

Again, I'm not aware with what happened with the IP Addresses, but I'm guessing that SMF did do some background stuff. Besides, the Site's never had that many Users(Between 2 - 5 Users they had).

And I would've thought you used a VPN. Turns out I was wrong.

 

[Ghost]

That would be the optimal solution.

I don't know if it's a German or an EU regulation. But an IP address can only be stored for a short time and then has to be deleted.

I don't think it's a regulation in the US. I did read this on StackExchange just now though...
" An IP address in isolation is not personal data under the UK Data Protection Act, according to the Information Commissioner. But an IP address can become personal data when combined with other information or when used to build a profile of an individual, even if that individual's name is unknown. "

 

[Dan-Kode]

I don't think it's a regulation in the US. I did read this on StackExchange just now though...
" An IP address in isolation is not personal data under the UK Data Protection Act, according to the Information Commissioner. But an IP address can become personal data when combined with other information or when used to build a profile of an individual, even if that individual's name is unknown. "

Ah, so the IP Address does not count as a piece of Personal-Data unless it's combined with other Information(E.g. Email, Name, DoB). I don't believe that deleting IP Addresses is a US-Regulation either and I don't believe it does apply to US-Citizens. I think the IP Regulation only applies to the EU and from what @Ghost said, the UK.

 

[Ghost]

Ah, so the IP Address does not count as a piece of Personal-Data unless it's combined with other Information(E.g. Email, Name, DoB). I don't believe that deleting IP Addresses is a US-Regulation either and I don't believe it does apply to US-Citizens. I think the IP Regulation only applies to the EU and from what @Ghost said, the UK.

Well, I think it's basically saying that an IP address is NOT personal information until paired with other information.
For example, you can store IP addresses without personal data laws coming into effect if you are simply storing the IP for security purposes, Apache logs, whitelist/blacklist (banning) purposes, etc... but if you start pairing the IP with other data it becomes a "personal profile" of sorts where the IP acts as a personal identifier and less of a technical number used for things like banning/logging... and when that happens you must treat the IP address like personal information, so it follows those laws.

Here's an article about the EU allowing websites to store IP addresses for security purposes:

Websites free to store IP addresses to prevent cyber attacks: EU court

Website owners are free to store users' internet addresses to prevent cyber attacks, the European Union's top court said on Wednesday, rejecting a claim from a German privacy activist who sought to stop the practice.

www.reuters.com

 

[Dan-Kode]

Ah, thanks for that. It makes a lot more sense. So if I were to build a Profile out a User's Data, I would have to treat their IP like all of the other Data on that Profile?

 

[Ghost]

Well yes because the IP stores location data and becomes part of profile. BUt you could have a user profile, and still keep raw apache logs of IP access for security reasons.

 

[Tealk]

I'm pretty sure that there was also a regulation that these only x days may be held up