A Stuff.co.nz report explores the ways in which marketers and fraudsters alike can acquire consumers' valuable personal information--from posts on social networking sites and uploading photos to using "airpoints" bonus cards and methods beyond consumer control. A study showed that last year, 43 percent of New Zealand citizens used social networking sites; meanwhile, high-profile data breaches abound and Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff acknowledged that not using the Internet amounts to social exclusion. But how do consumers protect their privacy? The report includes experts attesting to the importance of setting secure privacy settings, using unique passwords for different websites and being smart about what information you offer up online.
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