Microsoft is celebrating Data Privacy Day (which is actually on January 28) all this week with new information about how consumers can protect themselves online. Today Microsoft released a new survey and a new infographic (shown below) that shows that the majority of people don't give much thought to the consequences of their various online activities.
Microsoft said in the report detailing the survey results:
Only 44 (percent) of adults and children aged 8 – 17 years old surveyed think about the long-term impact of their online activities on their personal reputation, and only 38 (percent) of adults and 39 (percent) of children think about the long-term impact of their online activities on the reputations of others.
Microsoft also said that less than half of the parents surveyed help their children with managing their online presence and reputations. As you can see from the infographic, quite a few people have had negative effects in their lives due to online activities by other people, including some who have lost their job or have been unable to obtain a job.
Microsoft offers several common sense tips to make sure your online reputation is honest, including monitoring your name and email address in search engines regularly, activating privacy settings and talking with people directly who might be posting information on their online profiles that might affect your own profile and reputation.
Image via Microsoft
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