We all use health websites on the Internet to find out about illness, medicine, or ways to stay healthy, right? These websites provide us with a lot of useful information. But have you ever wondered what happens to the personal information you enter on these websites, such as the symptoms you are looking for? One of the most important documents that explains this is the 'Privacy Policy' that is available on almost every website. Although this may seem like a complicated topic, it is very important to be aware of this for your safety.
Simply put, what is this Privacy Policy?
This is very simple. Imagine you go to a store and buy something. You pay, they give you the item. Also, when you use a website, that website receives some of your information. In return, they provide you with a service (information, facilities).
A Privacy Policy is like a contract between the website and you.
In this agreement they clearly state:
- What kind of information do they collect from you?
- What kind of things do they use the information they collect for?
- Do you share your information with other parties, and if so, with whom?
- What are they doing to protect your information?
- What are your rights regarding your information?
Using a website without reading this is like signing a contract without reading the terms. So it's worth having a little understanding of this.
What kind of information do websites collect from us?
Several types of websites collect information. Let's break these down into three main categories.
| Information type | Examples and explanation |
|---|---|
| Information you provide yourself | These are the things you enter when you create an account on a website, subscribe to a newsletter, or fill out a form. Examples: your name, email address, date of birth, address, phone number. |
| Information related to your health | This is very important on health websites. If you enter your symptoms into a symptom checker tool, or search for information about a medical condition, that data may also be collected. |
| Automatically collected technical information | This is what happens to us without us realizing it. When you enter a website, their systems collect some information about your computer or phone. - IP Address: This is like your device's internet address. It can tell you where in the world you are visiting the website from. - Cookies: These are small data files that are stored in your browser. They help the website remember you when you return to that site and learn what you like. - Device Information: Details such as what kind of phone/computer you are using and what operating system. |
Why do they collect this information? What do they do with it?
There are several main reasons why websites collect this information.
- Provide you with better service: If you are a regular reader of articles about diabetes, they can show you new diabetes-related articles, videos, etc., based on your interests. This will make the website even easier for you to use.
- Targeted Advertising: This is the main way that many websites make money. Imagine you are searching for solutions to back pain. You might start seeing ads for products, pillows, and exercise equipment that help with back pain. This is called ``Targeted Advertising''.
- For research and analysis: But don't worry, they're not looking at "Nilanthi Perera has back pain." What they're doing is collecting information from thousands of people like you (without name or village) and doing general analysis like "Women between the ages of 40-50 are searching the most for joint pain." This helps them understand what health topics are important to people.
- Website security and maintenance: This data is also useful for technical purposes such as stopping unwanted attacks on the website and identifying system errors.
Do you give your information to others?
Yes, in some cases your information may be shared with other parties. But a good privacy policy clearly states who this is done with and why.
- Partner Companies: We may share your information with companies that provide technical services, analyze data, and send emails that help operate the website.
- Advertisers: Here, they don't directly give your name or email. What they do is give you anonymous data like your `Cookie ID` and say, "If someone likes this kind of stuff, show them this ad."
- Legally required: Websites are required to provide your information to law enforcement agencies if there is a legal request, such as a court order or search warrant.
The most important thing is that if you leave the website you are using and go to another website (e.g. by clicking on an advertisement), the `Privacy Policy` of that new website will apply. So be careful about that too.
What are your rights and what can you do?
You also have some control over your information. Here are some things you can do.
- Update or delete your account: You can log in to your account at any time and change your details, or request to delete your account completely.
- Unsubscribe from emails: If you don't want to receive promotional emails from them, you can unsubscribe from that service by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of each email.
- Controlling Cookies: You can block or delete cookies by going to the `Settings` of your web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox). However, if you block some cookies, the website may not function properly.
- AdChoices: Some websites have a blue triangle-like logo at the bottom. By clicking on it, you can control the targeted ads you see to some extent.
The Internet is a very useful tool for us. But when using it, it is very important to think about the protection of our privacy. If you use websites like these to manage a medical condition, remember that the information you get from them is only a help. It is never a substitute for personal advice from your doctor .
Take-Home Message
- A privacy policy is an agreement: Before using a website, get a little understanding of what they do with your data.
- Think about what you give out: Don't give out unnecessary personal information (e.g., phone number) everywhere. Use strong, hard-to-guess passwords when creating accounts.
- Use your browser settings: Periodically delete cookies and browsing history in your browser. This will help reduce tracking of you across the internet.
- Understand why ads appear: Understand that many of the ads you see are based on your online activity. Don't be alarmed by it, but be aware of it.
- Be careful about security: Websites that start with `https://` and a small padlock symbol (SSL-secured) in the web address are more secure. Be careful about this when sending your data.
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