Data Protection Commission: People are careless with personal data on the Internet – Jornal de Negócios – Portugal

In a year when the DPA elected as the fight against identity theft, Clara Guerra, coordinator of international information and relations service, warns that it is increasingly easy to “steal the identity” because “people provide” too much information on the internet.

Creating a false identity can open bank accounts, make up loans or purchases. Clara Guerra says that identity theft for illicit purposes has always existed, but remember that “once when there was a theft almost always recovered documents”, which does not happen today, because “there is a document market.”

with the internet criminals had the easy life, affirming the responsibility that is easy on a search engine to access lists of names associated with the number of the citizen card or tax ID.

“Today internet is a fertile medium to gather information “, there are” many companies and public entities that disclose personal information “and sometimes claiming transparency,” is published on the internet, “says Clara Guerra, exemplifying with the Ministry of Education, which for years published on the internet, “on page open”, teachers’ lists with the numbers of the associated identity cards.

“Disclose the number of identity card / citizen card is not correct,” there is information available with good intentions “but that is infringing and may be used improperly by third parties,” he warns.

The internet “is a very large repository of personal information and, therefore, there are increased risks” says the head of the CNDP, adding that social networks have come even worsen the situation. And the fact that, contrary to what one might think, young people are more aware of the problem than adults, “which easily share personal information that could them out guys.”

Clara Guerra gives as an example the social network FaceBook, which gives a “false sense of security,” and continues: “old people preserved the contacts, friends, but today expose their network, say with whom they relate, the kind of relationships, family, friends, co-workers. “

people are not aware that what they put on social networks can influence in getting a job and also expose too much the children, said the official, noting a Court judgment of Évora ratio and the biannual journal of the DPA (Data Protection Forum) quotes.

in this judgment, the judges imposed to parents the duty to refrain from publishing in social photographs networks or information identifying the daughter, said that protecting the image and private life is as important as promoting livelihood, health education of the children, who “are not things or objects belonging to the parents and that they may have his Bel- pleasure. “

the judgment cites several rules to say that there is” a serious danger and real adveniente the dissemination of photographs and information from minors on social networks “.

Earlier this month PSP had also warned that parents should not to publish photographs of the faces of the children, the location or names, warning that a picture that appears on the internet is forever.

the protection of personal data is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution (Article 35) and turns 40 on 02 April.

to avoid the adage “after home stolen locks the door,” the DPA in its website (www.cnpd.pt) makes a test to assess the degree of vulnerability to thieves and makes protection advice.