Book and Video Sites: Who's Peeking Over Your Shoulder?

An Online Privacy Fact Sheet from the ACLU

THE MORE YOU READ & WATCH
ONLINE, THE MORE DIGITAL
FOOTPRINTS

Information about what you watch and read online is valuable

Online book and video sites are an amazing way to learn about anything and everything. But the videos you watch and the books you read can say a lot about your interests, hobbies, habits, and concerns. And outdated privacy laws, written before the Internet even existed, mean that all this personal information isn't being properly protected from prying eyes. Don't pay for easy access to books and videos by giving up control of your personal information. Demand a privacy upgrade. Demand your dotRights.

You're watching – and companies are peeking

When you read a book at the library or watch a movie from your video collection at home, nobody tracks what you're doing. But when you read or watch online, it's harder to be sure. The service you use can record which pages you read, what videos you watch, and how often and for how long you watch them. It might use this profile for targeted advertising, or even share this information with others. And you might not even know any of this is happening.

You're reading – and the government is peeking

Records of the books you read and the videos you watch are a treasure trove of information about your interests and concerns. But while records at the video store or local library are protected by strong privacy laws, the same protections may not apply to online books and videos. Rather than getting permission from a judge, the government says it can just ask online book and video sites (not you directly!) to hand over information about what you read or watch.

Demand the right to read and watch in peace

You deserve to be able to watch videos and read books online without having to worry that your information will end up being used in ways you never intended or imagined. It's time to upgrade privacy laws to keep our personal information safe. It's time to stop paying for new technology with our privacy. It's time to Demand our dotRights!

Learn more:

Download Books and Video Sites: Who's Peeking Over Your Shoulder?

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