Shoppers who have flocked to online stores for their holiday shopping are losing privacy with every mouse click, according to a new report.
The study by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center scrutinized privacy policies on 100 of the most popular online shopping sites and compared those policies with a set of basic privacy principles that have come to be known as "fair information practices".
The group found that none of the 100 sites met all of the basic criteria for privacy protection, which include giving notice of what information is collected and how it is used, offering consumers a choice over whether the information will be used in certain ways, allowing access to data that give consumers a chance to see and correct the information collected, and instituting the kind of security measures that ensure that information won't fall into the wrong hands.
'This study shows that somebody else, other than Santa, is reading your Christmas list," said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education, which also worked on the survey.
The online privacy of children is protected by Federal Trade Commission rules, but adults do not share the same degree of privacy protection. The movement, like the online shopping industry, favors self-regulation over imposition of further movement restrictions on electronic commerce.
Marc Rosenberg, executive director of the privacy group, said the study shows that self regulations have failed, "We need legislation to enforce fair information pretences," he said, "Consumers are at greater risk than they were in 1997," when the group released its first report.
The survey also asked whether the 100 sites used "profile-based" advertising, and whether the sites incorporate "cookies" technology, which gives Websites basic information on visitors. Profiling is the practice of gathering in then used to create targeted advertising on Websites.
All but 18 of the top shopping sites did display a privacy policy, a major improvement over the early days of electronic commerce, when such policies were scarce. But that did not satisfy the privacy group. "Companies are posting privacy policies, but these policies are not the same thing as fair information practices," Rosenberg said.
The sites also did not perform well by other measures, the group said it found that 35 of the sites feature profile-based advertising, and 87 percent use cookies. The group concluded that the phonies that were posted "are typically confusing, incomplete, and inconsistent". The report, "Surfer Beware III: Privacy Policies without Privacy Protection," is the third such survey by the group. It called for further development of technologies that help consumers protect their privacy and even anonymity when exploring the internet.
- What does the sentence "This study shows that somebody else, other than Santa, is reading your Christmas list" mean
- The study shows that someone else would buy consumers a girl for Christmas
- The study shows that consumers' privacy is being invaded.
- The study shows that companies want to make a Christmas list for children.
- The study shows that Santa would not bring the Christmas gifts this year.
- Which of the following is not in the list of the basic criteria of privacy protection mentioned in paragraph 3
- Give notice of what information is collected and how it is used to consumers.
- Allow access to data that give consumers a chance to see and correct the information collected.
- Make consumers believe that the information provided by the sites is surely correct.
- Institute the kind of security measures that ensure that the information won't fall into the wrong hands.
- It could be drawn from the passage that_________
- the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center has released at least 3 reports concerning the online privacy
- adults cannot get any online privacy protection
- both the online privacy of children and that of adults are not protected by FTC rules
- only 18 of the top shopping sites displayed a privacy policy nowadays
- What does the passage mainly talk about
- Marc Rosenberg ' s study on self-regulation.
- Some online problems found by a privacy group's study.
- Adults and children are different.
- Online security measures.
核心词汇注释
flock n．羊群，(禽、畜等的)群
v．聚结
scrutinize v．细察
criteria n．(P㈠标准
imposition n．强迫接受
enforce vt．强迫，执行，坚持， 加强
release n．释放，让渡，豁免；发行 的书；释放证书；版本；发布
vt．释放，解放，放弃，让与，免除，发表
incorporate adj．合并的，结社的，一体化的
vt．合并，使组成公司；具体表现，[律]结社，使成为法人组织
vi．合并，混合；组成公司
phony adj．假冒的 n．假冒者
anonymity n．匿名，作者不明(或不详)
长难句剖析
The study by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy information Center scrutinized privacy policies on 100 of the most popular online shopping sites and compared those policies with a set of basic privacy principles that have come to be known as “fair information practices"．
[结构分析]本句主干是The study…scrutinized privacy policies…and compared those policies with。by引导的介词短语修饰主语study；on…sites是一个地点状语；a set of basic privacy principles后面是that引导的定语从句。
[参考译文]位于华盛顿的电子隐私信息中心仔细审查了100个最受欢迎的购物站点上的隐私条款并将这些条款和名为“公平信息准则”的一套基本隐私保护条例进行了比较。
The group found that none of the 100 sites met all of the basic criteria for privacy protection，which include giving notice of what information is collected and how it is used，offering consumers a choice over whether the information will be used in certain ways，allowing access to data that give consumers a chance to see and correct the information collected，and instituting the kind of security measures that ensure that information won't fall into the wrong hands．
[结构分析]本句主干是The group found that none．．．met all of the basic criteria．．．which include。which引导的非限定性定语从句修饰the basic criteria，在这个从句中，谓语动词include的宾语是由几个并列的动名词构成的：giving．．．used, offering…ways，allowing…collected和instituting．．．hands。
[参考译文]这个中心发现100个站点中没有一个可以达到隐私保护的所有基本标准。这些标准的内容包括通知收集用户信息的内容和使用方式，让消费者决定其信息是否能以某些方式使用，允许消费者有机会进入数据库修改被收集的个人信息，并使用能够保证信息不会被滥用的安全措施。
All but 18 of the top shopping sites did display a privacy policy， major improvement over the early days of electronic commerce，when such policies were scarce。
[结构分析]本句主干是All but 18 of the top shopping sites did display a privacy policy。主句后面的部分实际上是前面整个句子的同位语，the early days of electronic commerce后是when引导的非限定性定语从句。
[参考译文]所有大型购物站点中，只有18家显示了隐私保护条款，在电子商业发展早期，这样的隐私保护条款极为少见，相比之下，这是一个很大的进步。
全文参考译文
一份新近的报告表明，那些蜂拥到网上商店进行假日购物的消费者每次点击鼠标的时候正在泄漏个人的隐私。位于华盛顿的电子隐私信息中心仔细审查了100个最受欢迎的购物站点上的隐私条款并将这些条款和名为“公平信息准则”的一套基本隐私保护条例进行了比较。
这所中心发现，在100个站点中，没有一个能够达到隐私保护的所有基本标准。这些标准的内容包括通知收集用户信息的内容和使用方式，让消费者决定其信息是否能以某些方式使用，允许消费者有机会进入数据库查看并修改被收集的个人信息，并使用能够保证信息不会被滥用的安全措施。
“这项研究显示，除了圣诞老人以外还有人看到了你的圣诞节购物清单。”媒体教育中心的执行总裁Jeff Chester这样说道。这家中心也在进行此项调查。
儿童的网上隐私爱联邦商务委员会有关规定的保护，而成人却没有享爱同样的隐私保护。像在线购物这样的行业，更倾向于自我管理而不是被强制要求接受电子商业的约束条款。
当这个机构发布第一份报告的时候，执行理事Rosenberg认为，研究显示了自我管理的方式是行不通的。他说，“我们需要通过立法来加强公平的信息准则，消费考比他们在1997年面临着更大的风险。”
调查也询问了这100个站点是否使用了“基于特征分布”的广告宣传和是否集成了cookies技术—这项技术能让站点知道访问者的基本信息。特征分布方法是通过跟踪消费者的在线活动来收集他们的兴趣信息。这些信息接下来就用于制作网站上有针对性的广告。
在所有大型购物站点中仅有18家显示隐私保护条款。这样的隐私保护条款在电子商业发展的早期是极为少见的，相比之下，这已经是一个很大的进步了。不过这依然不能让隐私保护机构满意，Rosenberg说：“公司公布隐私保护条款，但这些条款和公平信息准则不是一回事。”
隐私保护机构声称，这些站点也没有采取其他措施来进行更完善的隐私保护。他们发现其中的35家站点采用了基于特征分布的广告宣传，同时，87％的站点使用了cookies。由此得出结论：这些站点贴出的隐私保护条款通常是模糊的、不完善的和自相矛盾的。一篇名为《网上冲浪须知三：没有隐私保护的隐私保护条款》的报告，是这个机构开展的第三次这样的调查。报告呼吁进一步发展技术让人们即使是匿名浏览网站时都可以保护自己的隐私。
题目答案与解析
1．“这项研究显示除了圣诞老人以外还有人看到了你的圣诞节购物清单”这句话是什么意思 [答案]B
A．这项研究显示其他人将为消费者购买圣诞礼物。
B．这项研究显示消费者隐私受到侵犯。
C．这项研究显示公司希望为孩子们做一个圣诞节购物清单。
D．这项研究显示圣诞老人今年不会带来圣诞礼物了。
[解析]本题可参照文章的第4段。前3段已经讲到网上购物极易暴露购物者的隐私。第4段中说读你圣诞购物清单的不一定就是圣诞老人。这是在举例说明文章前三段的内容。所以正确答案为B。
2．第3段中，下面哪一项不在隐私保护基本标准列表中 [答案]C
A．通知收集信息的内容和使用方式。
B．允许消费者进入数据库有机会查看并修改被收集的个人信息。
C．让消费者确信网站提供的信息是绝对正确的。
D．制订能够保证信息不会被滥用的安全措施。 ’
[解析]本题可参照文章第3段的the basic criteria for privacy protection，which include giving…offering…allowing…and instituting…，从中可知只有C项没有列出，因此C项为正确答案。
3．从这篇文章中可以得出_______。 [答案]A
A．以华盛顿为基地的电子隐私信息中心至少发表了三份关于网上隐私的报告
B．成人无法享受任何的隐私保护
C．成人和儿童的网上隐私都无法受到联邦商务委员会有关规定的保护
D．现在，所有大型购物站点中，只有18家显示了隐私保护条款
[解析]本题的依据是文章最后一段倒数第2句话The report….is the third such survey by the group，从中可知A项是正确答案。
4．本篇文章主要讨论的是什么 考博信息网|http://www.kaoboinfo.com解析 [答案]B
A．Marc Rosenberg关于自律的研究。 B．隐私研究团体发现的一些网上的问题。
C．成人与儿童是不同的。 D．网上的安全措施。
[解析]综观全文，A、C、D三项与文章无关或者关系不大。只有B最合适，因此正确答案为B。