Demand More from Online Companies
Just as not every person is trustworthy, not every company is worthy of
your trust in equal measure. This is why it’s important to choose which
information we provide to various businesses in the brick-and-mortar
world. What information you provide to a grocery store clerk differs
from the information you share with your bank manager. This ability to
select what companies know about you is at least as necessary online.However, in addition to taking the time to identify reputable online
companies that will respect your information, we aren’t hearing enough
about the responsibility of companies to build safer products. Our
background is in the Internet industry. We love technology. But the
industry as a whole hasn’t taken enough steps to design or provide a
safer consumer experience.➟ In most cases companies simply provide people with
access to products and urge them to have fun. These
products hurtle consumers through cyberspace at
warp speed but don’t provide the equivalent of a
user’s manual, let alone a driver’s education.➟ Most online services fail to build basic safety meas-
ures equivalent to the brakes, locks, or airbags that are
built into your car, and even fewer adequately test
their products for safety.➟ Companies provide terms of use and codes of con-
duct on their sites, but most fail to take the responsi-
bility to enforce their policies and ensure reasonable
safety for users on their sites. In their own online envi-
ronments, service providers must be the first line of
safety and enforcement.➟ Companies have a responsibility to inform consumers
about changes to their products that have an impact
on safety. Many adult IM users are surprised to dis-
cover that IM has steadily upgraded far beyond the
real-time e-mail service they thought they knew.340
Part IV: Being Proactive