We’re constantly looking for ways to improve OnGuardOnline.gov, so we really appreciate the feedback we get from visitors. We can’t always respond to every request, but we wanted to take a moment today to address some questions that we’ve seen more than once.

When it comes to privacy promises, what businesses say about the personal information they collect from you has to line up with their day-to-day procedures. That’s the message of the FTC’s proposed settlement announced today with Facebook. Where did the company go wrong? The agency’s 8-count complaint boils down to this: Facebook’s privacy practices often flew in the face of its stated policies and, as one count alleges, the company made significant retroactive changes to its privacy practices, without getting users’ consent.

For years, the Pew Internet and American Life Project has been doing high-quality research on the online experience. Now, in Pew’s most recent study, “Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites,” researcher Amanda Lenhart takes a close look at teenagers’ experiences on social networks. 

Lots of OnGuardOnline.gov visitors appreciate our practical, plain language tips for securing computers, avoiding fraud, and being smart online. But what about the tech savvy users – IT professionals, cybersecurity specialists, and other super computer users? OnGuardOnline.gov has something for you, too, and you can find it on our new Techies Page.